ELLISVILLE – The Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats led wire to wire and whipped the Southwest Mississippi Community College Lady Bears, 80-60, here Monday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
The Lady Bobcats are now 15-6 overall, 9-4 in the MACJC South Division and have clinched a spot in next week's MACJC State Tournament at Copiah-Lincoln.
Starla Daggans had a standout, all-around game for JCJC.
She scored 20 points, had nine steals, seven assists and six rebounds.
JCJC jumped out to a 13-2 lead with 13:06 left in the first half on a Taylor Baudoin basket. They upped the lead to 28-14 with 5:38 left when Daggans scored on a layup.
SMCC trimmed the lead to 30-22 with 3:35 left in the first half when Teshia Jones hit a 3-pointer. But JCJC outscored the Lady Bears 11-2 the rest of the half and took a 41-28 lead at intermission.
The Lady Bobcats continued its surge in the second half and took its longest lead of the game at 62-39 with 10:11 left when Baudoin made two free throws.
Southwest outscored JCJC 17-6 over the next 6:35 and pulled within 68-56 at the 3:46 mark when Jones made another 3-pointer. But that was as close as they would get.
Baudoin paced JCJC with 21 points, while Daggans had 20 and Terrica Williams had 18. Hayley Pichon led the team with seven rebounds.
Jones and Gabriella Cortez paced the Lady Bears, 10-12 overall and 6-7 in the division, with 15 points each.
JCJC was 31-of-57 from the field, including 2-of-8 from 3-point range, for 54 percent. They were 16-of-28 from the free throw line.
The Lady Bears were 20-of-63 from the field, including 4-of-20 from 3-point range, for 32 percent. They were 16-of-21 from the foul line.
JCJC outrebounded SMCC, 34-30. The Lady Bobcats committed 19 turnovers, compared to 23 for the Lady Bears.
The Lady Bobcats conclude regular season play at Hinds in Utica on Thursday. The game tips off at 5:30 p.m.
SMCC hosts East Central on Thursday in its regular season finale.
Lady Bobcat Sophomores
The Lady Bobcats celebrated "Sophomore Night" with the victory.
Lady Bobcat sophomores who were honored were Starla Daggans, Alyson Johnson, Kadie Parker, Terrica Williams, manager Kendra May and statistician Morgan Adam.
It was also "Pink Zone Night" as the Lady Bobcats wore pink jerseys and pink t-shirts were sold to raise money for breast cancer research.
 
Monday's game
Ellisville
At A.B. Howard Gymnasium
WOMEN
Jones County 80, Southwest Mississippi 60
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI (10-12, 6-7) – Teshia Jones 15, Gabriella Cortez 15, Talisa Sherman 9, Eyonna Wolfe 7, Tatyana Turner 6, Cortney Epting 2, Lillie Snowden 2, Madison Mault 2, Aaliyah Williams 2.
JONES COUNTY (15-6, 10-3) – Taylor Baudoin 21, Starla Daggans 20, Terrica Williams 18, Hayley Pichon 6, Alyson Johnson 5, Kadie Parker 4, Jayda Simmons 4, Aliyah Bell 2, Mallory Odom 0, Kristen Smith 0.
Southwest                 24 36 – 60
Jones County            40 40 – 80