CLINTON – The Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats placed five players in double figures in a 91-62 whipping of Baton Rouge Community College (Louisiana) in the opening round of the Region 23 Tournament here Thursday night at the A.E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College.
Taylor Baudoin paced JCJC with 26 points, as the Lady Bobcats improved to 18-7.
The Lady Bobcats will meet Northwest Mississippi at 8 p.m. on Friday in the tournament semifinals.
Northwest surprised Meridian 77-75 on Thursday.
Friday's game will be webcast on www.njcaatv.com/nwccrangers. Livestats will be available at http://sidearmstats.com/northwestms/wbball. The links will be available on www.jcjcathletics.com in the JCJC-TV banner and the Upcoming Events schedule.
Last week, JCJC defeated Northwest 91-71 in the MACJC Tournament.
Unbeaten and 16^th-ranked Copiah-Lincoln will face Itawamba at 6 p.m. on Friday in the other semifinal matchup. Co-Lin overcame a 16-point deficit in the final 10 minutes and scored with 1.1 second showing to beat Holmes, 69-68. Itawamba rallied from a 13-point deficit and beat East Central, 90-85.
The winner of the tournament will head to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament March 16-21 in Salina, Kansas.
JCJC took the lead for good vs. BRCC on a 3-pointer by Alyson Johnson to make it 7-4 with 16:08 left in the first half. The Lady Bobcats went on a 9-0 run and took an 18-7 lead with 13:23 showing when Baudoin scored.
A Terrica Williams' basket off an assist by Starla Daggans gave JCJC its longest lead of the first half at 34-14 with 7:55 remaining.
But BRCC rallied and pulled within 43-37 at the 1:51 mark when Terriel Ross scored. The Lady Bobcats would take a 47-37 halftime lead on a pair of free throws by Jayda Simmons with 1:06 left and two more by Kadie Parker with 9.5 seconds on the clock.
JCJC took control quickly again in the second half.
A layup by Johnson gave the Lady Bobcats a 57-39 lead with 17:21 left and a Baudoin basket with 12:28 remaining put JCJC ahead 66-44.
BRCC cut the lead to 66-50 with 10:42 left when Ross scored, but they would get no closer.
Daggans scored off a Parker assist to make it 73-50 with 9:43 to play. JCJC took its longest lead of the night at 88-56 with 3:44 remaining when Simmons converted a 3-point play.
After Baudoin's effort, Johnson and Parker had 14 points each, Daggans had 13 and Simmons finished with 11.
Lanae Bickham led the Lady Bears with 13 points, while Doneisha Young added 12 and Ross finished with 11.
Baton Rouge ends the year at 14-15.
 
 

Region 23 Tournament

Thursday's game
Jones County 91, Baton Rouge CC (Louisiana) 62
BATON ROUGE (14-15) – Lanae Bickham 13, Doneisha Young 12, Terriel Ross 11, Anitara Whitfield 9, Latrese Darden 6, Octavia Lawdins 6, Amari Banks 5, Ariane Addison 0.
JONES COUNTY (18-7) – Taylor Baudoin 26, Alyson Johnson 14, Kadie Parker 14, Starla Daggans 13, Jayda Simmons 11, Terrica Williams 9, Aliyah Bell 2, Hayley Pichon 2, Kristen Smith 0, Mallory Odom 0.
Baton Rouge                         37 25 – 62
Jones County                        47 44 – 91
 

Region 23 Tournament

At Clinton
Mississippi College
A.E. Wood Coliseum
WOMEN
Thursday's results
Itawamba 90, East Central 85
Co-Lin 69, Holmes 68
Northwest Mississippi 77, Meridian 75
Jones County 91, Baton Rouge CC (LA) 62
Friday's games
Itawamba vs. Co-Lin, 6 p.m.
Northwest Mississippi vs. Jones County, 8 p.m.
Saturday's game
Championship, 6 p.m.