ELLISVILLE – Jones County led for most of the game, but 20^th-rated Holmes prevailed in overtime here Monday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs got 35 points from Daryl Macon, outscored JCJC 20-7 in the extra session and downed the Bobcats, 95-82.
JCJC took its longest lead of the game at 69-59 with 5:01 left in regulation when Tristin Walley made two free throws. Holmes would then score six straight points, but Maurice Dunlap's two free throws gave the Bobcats a 71-65 lead with 3:07 remaining.
Walley would later hit two more free throws with 1:47 left to give Jones a 75-70 lead.
But Macon made two free throws with 1:36 showing and then hit a 3-pointer with 1:08 left to tie the game at 75-75.
In the final minute of play, JCJC would miss two shots and Holmes would commit a turnover, forcing the overtime.
Macon took over quickly in the overtime period.
He made a 3-pointer at the 4:52 mark to give the Bulldogs the lead for good at 78-75. After Bruce Stevens made two free throws for the Bobcats at 4:43, Holmes' D'Angelo Richardson hit two foul shots to make it 80-77 with 4:28 left.
Macon, a University of Arkansas commit, then hit a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs an 83-77 lead with 3:50 left.
After Stevens slammed home a dunk, Macon followed with his third 3-pointer in the extra session to give the Bulldogs an 86-79 lead with 3:21 left. Holmes would eventually take its longest lead at 94-80 with just less than a minute to play.
The Bobcats began the game in good shape.
The Bobcats took an 11-4 lead with 14:39 left in the first half when Andrew Riley hit a 15-footer. Holmes would come back and take its only lead of the first half at 14-13 with 10:56 showing when Jamahl Jackson made two free throws.
JCJC would take its longest lead of the opening half with 30 seconds left when Walley made a layup to make it 38-32. Jackson's 3-pointer with three seconds showing made it 38-35 at halftime.
Holmes' Xavier Williams scored inside to put the Bulldogs up 54-52 with 11:51 left. Stevens then converted a 3-point play to give the Bobcats a 55-54 lead with 11:02 remaining.
JCJC would not give up the lead again until the Bulldogs would tie the game with just over a minute left in regulation.
Rickey Holden led the Bobcats, 2-1, with 17 points. Walley added 15, Stevens added 12 and Dunlap had 10.
JCJC was 30-of-64 from the floor (5-of-15 from 3 point range) for 47 percent. The Bobcats were 17-of-24 from the foul line.
After Macon's 35-point effort, Cedric Harper added 21 points and Richardson had 17. Macon was 11-of-22 from the field (5-of-8 from 3-point range) and 8-of-10 from the foul line.
The Bulldogs were 31-of-62 from the field (8-of-15 from 3-point range) for 50 percent. Holmes was 25-of-30 from the free throw line.
Holmes outrebounded JCJC 39-28. Each team had 17 turnovers.
Holmes, 3-0, is the defending Region 23 Tournament champion and advanced to the Elite Eight of last season's NJCAA Division I National Tournament.
JCJC will host Itawamba at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The game will air on jcjc.tv.
Holmes entertains the William Carey University Junior Varsity on Wednesday.
 
 
MEN
Monday's game
Ellisville
A.B. Howard Gymnasium
Holmes 95, Jones County 82 (OT)
HOLMES (3-0) – Daryl Macon 35, Cedric Harper 21, D'Angelo Richardson 17, Jamahl Jackson 9, Gerald Glass 4, Xavier Williams 3, Edward Davis 2, R.J. Scott 2, Dietrich Taylor 2, Demarkis Weatherall 0.
JONES COUNTY (2-1) – Rickey Holden 17, Tristin Walley 15, Bruce Stevens 12, Maurice Dunlap 10, Andrew Riley 8, Zebedee Rice 7, Andre Johnson 5, Xavier Howard 4, Albert Goss 2, Christian Robertson 2, Emetric Fells 0.
 
Holmes                      35 40 20 – 95          
Jones County           38 37   7  – 82