ELLISVILLE - The Jones County Junior College Bobcats opened the 2014-15 season in impressive fashion here Monday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
The defending NJCAA champion Bobcats held Alabama Southern without a field goal for just over the first six minutes of the game and whipped the Eagles, 97-66.
It was a successful debut for first-year JCJC head coach Rahim Lockhart.
The Bobcats will travel to Itawamba for a 7 p.m. on Thursday and visit Delgado Community College (Louisiana) for a 4 p.m. game on Saturday.
Alabama Southern will be in the Albany Tech Tournament in Albany, Georgia, on Saturday/Sunday.
Leroy "Truck" Fludd started the season off with a 3-pointer from deep in the left corner and the Bobcats were off and running. Otis Harvey followed with back-to-back 3-pointers and a free throw by Bryce Jones moments later gave JCJC a 14-2 lead with 15:27 left in the first half.
Jones added two more free throws with 9:14 left in the half to make it 30-11. The Bobcats took their longest lead of the half at 49-23 with 2:23 left when Zeb Rice made a 3-pointer from the right corner.
The Bobcats led 50-29 at halftime.
The Eagles chipped away at the lead and pulled within 57-41 with 15:14 remaining on a bucket by Desmond Williams. But the Bobcats went on an 11-2 run with Christopher White's basket giving them a 68-43 lead with 9:23 left.
JCJC would keep up the pressure and eventually took its longest lead at 90-54 with 3:07 to play when Rodrigus Palmer hit a 15-footer.
Fludd led five Bobcats in double figures with 17 points. Palmer and Bryce Perry added 16 each, Jones had 14 and Harvey finished with 10. Perry led the team with 9 rebounds. Andrew Riley had a solid, all-around game with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Jones had 9 assists and Marquis Cunningham had 3 blocked shots.
The Bobcats were 30-of-73 from the floor, including 10-of-26 from 3-point range, for 41 percent. JCJC was a sparkling 22-of-24 from the foul line for 92 percent.
Williams paced the Eagles, 1-4, with 27 points. Charlie Wilson added 14 and Vantrail Commings had 12.

Monday's game
At Ellisville
A.B. Howard Gymnasium
MEN
Jones County 97, Alabama Southern 66
ALABAMA SOUTHERN (1-4) -Desmond Williams 27, Charlie Wilson 14, Vantrail Commings 12, Jordan Moses 4, Caleb Provitt 4, Antonio Chapman 3, Traveon Gresham 2.
JONES COUNTY (1-0) -Leroy Fludd 17, Rodrigus Palmer 16, Bryce Perry 16, Bryce Jones 14, Otis Harvey 10, Andrew Riley 9, Zeb Rice 6, Marquis Cunningham 5, Christopher White 4, Andre'co Calender 0, James Williams 0, Emetric Fells 0, Bennett Davis 0.
Halftime: 50-29, Jones County.