WESSON – Jones County Junior College used an 18-0 run in the first half to take command in its MACJC Tournament first round game vs. Northwest Mississippi.
The Lady Bobcats went on to post a 91-71 decision here Monday night at Mullen Gymnasium.
JCJC, 17-6, will now meet unbeaten and 20^th-ranked Co-Lin in a 6 p.m. semifinal on Wednesday. The 24-0 Lady Wolves whipped East Mississippi 71-48 on Monday.
In other first round action, Meridian – the South's No. 4 seed – upset North No. 1 Itawamba, 76-74, and East Central defeated Holmes, 90-69.
Meridian meets Holmes in a 1 p.m. semifinal on Wednesday with the championship slated for 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The 17^th-rated Bobcat men's team will play at 1 p.m. Tuesday vs. Northeast Mississippi in a first-round game.
JCJC placed four players in double figures as they eliminated Northwest from state tournament play for the third consecutive season.
Taylor Baudoin led the Lady Bobcats with 26 points and 9 rebounds, while Kadie Parker added 19 points. Starla Daggans finished with 11 and Aliyah Bell had 10. Daggans had 7 rebounds and finished with 3 steals. Johnson and Parker had 4 assists each.
Northwest jumped out to an 8-2 lead early, but JCJC took the lead for good at 11-10 with 12:56 left in the first half when Daggans made a free throw.
Leading 18-16, Parker's jump shot started the decisive Lady Bobcat surge and her layup off an assist by Daggans ended it at the 5:30 mark, giving JCJC a 36-16 lead. The Lady Bobcats took their longest lead of the first half at 40-17 with 4:19 left in the half on a Baudoin layup.
JCJC led 51-31 at halftime.
The Lady Bobcats continued to roll early in the second half and went up 62-36 with 16:36 remaining when Johnson made a jump shot. JCJC's longest lead of the evening was 27 points on two occasions – the final one being at 71-44 with 13:44 left when Baudoin scored her final points of the game on a jump shot off an assist by Parker.
Northwest then outscored JCJC 16-6 and cut the lead to 77-60 with 6:24 left on an Aspriona Gilbert layup, but that was as close as they would get. The Lady Bobcats would eventually stretch the lead out to 87-63 with 2:45 left on two Jayda Simmons' free throws.
The Lady Rangers, 18-6, received 19 points from Gilbert, 14 from Bethany Lytle, 13 from Tekevanna Young and 11 from Kristina Mays.
JCJC was 29-of-61 from the field, including 6-of-17 from 3-point range, for 47.5 percent. The Lady Bobcats were 27-of-31 from the free throw line for 87 percent.
Northwest was 25-of-60 from the floor, including just 1-of-14 from 3-point range, for 42 percent. The Lady Rangers were 20-of-31 from the foul line.
JCJC outrebounded Northwest, 43-31. The Lady Bobcats had 15 turnovers, while Northwest committed 16.
Even though they have been eliminated from the state tournament, the Lady Rangers have qualified to play in the Region 23 Tournament next week at Mississippi College.
 
MACJC State Tournament
Wesson
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
At Mullen Gymnasium
Monday's game
WOMEN
Jones County 91, Northwest Mississippi 71
JONES COUNTY (17-6) – Taylor Baudoin 26, Kadie Parker 19, Starla Daggans 11, Aliyah Bell 10, Alyson Johnson 7, Jayda Simmons 7, Terrica Williams 4, Kristen Smith 3, Hayley Pichon 2, Mallory Odom 2.
NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI (18-6) – Aspriona Gilbert 19, Bethany Lytle 14, Tekevanna Young 13, Kristina Mays 11, Kelsey Brown 7, Sara Lytle 5, Brianna Williams 2, Diamond Robinson 0, Alyssia King 0, Hayley Davis 0, Camia O'Neal 0.
Jones County                                    51 40 – 91
Northwest Mississippi      31 40 – 71
 
MACJC State Tournament
At Wesson
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Mullen Gymnasium
WOMEN
Monday's results
Meridian 76, Itawamba 74
East Central 90, Holmes 69
Copiah-Lincoln 71, East Mississippi 48
Jones County 91, Northwest 71
Wednesday's games
Meridian vs. East Central, 1 p.m.
Co-Lin vs. JCJC, 6 p.m.
Thursday's games
Championship, 6 p.m.
 
MEN
Tuesday's games
Jones County (South 2) vs. Northeast Miss. (North 3), 1 p.m.
Holmes (North 1) vs. East Central (South 4), 2:45 p.m.
Pearl River (South 1) vs. Mississippi Delta (North 4), 6 p.m.
East Mississippi (North 2) vs. Miss. Gulf Coast (South 3), 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday's games
Holmes/East Central winner vs. JCJC/Northeast Miss. winner, 2:45 p.m.
Pearl River/Miss. Delta winner vs. East Mississippi/Miss. Gulf Coast winner, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday's game
Championship, 7:45 p.m.