DECATUR – East Central took the lead for good late in the first half and defeated Jones County 69-57 here Monday night at the Brackeen-Wood Physical Education Building.
The victory gives ECCC sole possession of first place in the MACJC South Division.
The Lady Warriors are now 16-2 overall, 8-1 in division play. JCJC falls to 14-4 overall and 7-2 in the division. The Lady Bobcats are in a three-way tie for second place with Copiah-Lincoln and Southwest.
The game was knotted 7-7 midway through the first quarter when ECCC went on a 6-0 run to take a 13-7 lead.
The Lady Bobcats, however, outscored East Central 9-2 and took a 16-15 lead on an Aliyah Bell 3-point play with 10 seconds left in the first quarter.
Tatyana Lofton's layup with 4:06 left in the first half gave the Lady Bobcats their final lead of the night at 22-21. ECCC then went on a 14-5 run and took a 35-27 halftime lead when Samantha Duncan hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
JCJC would rally and get within 45-43 when Wendion Bibbins scored with 1:04 left in the third quarter, but that was as close as they would get.
ECCC led 52-45 when Lofton made a free throw and then hit a layup to make it 52-48 with 5:23 remaining in the game.
But the Lady Warriors got a 3-pointer from Kalybriah Haskins to take a 64-53 lead with 2:29 remaining. East Central's longest lead came at the end of the game.
Bibbins had 13 points and 18 rebounds to pace JCJC. Lofton added 12 points. Hanah Lott had eight points, five assists and four steals.
Haskins had 27 points for East Central, while Duncan added 19 and Miracle Rushing finished with 12. Alexia McDonald had 13 rebounds.
JCJC was 23-of-64 from the field (3-of-19 from 3-point range) for 35 percent. The Lady Bobcats were 8-of-14 from the free throw line.
East Central was 25-of-63 from the floor (5-of-19 from 3-point range) for 40 percent. The Lady Warriors were 14-of-26 from the foul line.
Each team was credited with 41 rebounds.
The Lady Bobcats will travel to Copiah-Lincoln for a 6 p.m. game on Thursday. East Central will go to Mississippi Gulf Coast on Thursday.
 
WOMEN
Monday's Game
At Decatur
Brackeen-Wood Physical Education Building
East Central 69, Jones County 57
JONES COUNTY (14-4, 7-2) – Wendion Bibbins 13, Tatyana Lofton 12, Myyah West 9, Aliyah Bell 8, Hanah Lott 8, Zan Ratcliffe 5, Ashailee Brailey 2, Patrice Tate 0, Kanisha Tharpe 0, Dana Brown 0.
EAST CENTRAL (16-2, 8-1) – Kalybriah Haskins 27, Samantha Duncan 19, Miracle Rushing 12, Johnta Hughes 5, Alexia McDonald 4, Courtney Harper 1, Shaima Wilson 1, Richenda Crutcher 0, Jelisa Pearson 0, Aniyah Marshall 0.
 
Jones County           16 11 16 14 – 57
East Central              15 20 10 24 – 69