FULTON – Jones County Junior College was the only team to avoid the upset bug here Monday in the opening round of men's play in the MACJC Tournament.
The Bobcats defeated Northeast Mississippi 67-63 in the day's final game at the Davis Event Center on the campus of Itawamba Community College.
JCJC led for the entire game until the Tigers went ahead 63-62 with 1:13 left on two Wesley Harris free throws.
Tristin Walley then put JCJC up 64-63 with two free throws with 53.4 seconds left. JCJC's Christian Robertson then came up with a steal and Walley missed a shot inside. But Robertson got the rebound and JCJC called timeout with 29.9 seconds left on the game clock and 29 seconds remaining on the shot clock.
The Bobcats got the ball to Zebedee Rice, who was fouled with 21.5 seconds left. Rice missed the first shot, but made the second to put the Bobcats up 65-63.
The Tigers got the ball upcourt and Kendarius Smith missed on a drive to the goal. Walley grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Maurice Dunlap, who was fouled with 1.1 seconds left.
Dunlap hit both free throws and the Bobcats – the South Division's No. 2 team – had survived against the Tigers – the North's No. 3 team.
JCJC will now meet Mississippi Gulf Coast in the semifinals at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. The Bulldogs, the South's No. 4 team, surprised the North's No. 1 team, Holmes, 100-88.
In other games, Southwest, the No. 3 team from the South, beat the North's No. 2 team, Northwest, 86-80. East Mississippi, the North's No. 4 team, upset Pearl River, the top seed from the South, 80-73.
Southwest will meet East Mississippi at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the other men's semifinal game.
The JCJC women's team opens the tournament with an 8 p.m. Tuesday game vs. Holmes.
Bobcats 67, Tigers 63
JCJC used a solid defensive performance in the first half to take control.
The Bobcats took a 14-7 lead when David Davis made two free throws with 11:28 showing. The Tigers cut the lead to 16-13 when Wesley Harris converted a 3-point play with 9:10 showing.
JCJC then went in on a 13-2 run and took a 29-15 lead when Davis made a 3-pointer from the left corner with 4:44 left in the half.
The Bobcats would lead 32-20 at halftime. JCJC limited Northeast to 6-of-23 shooting from the field in the first half for 26 percent. The Bobcats were 10-of-30 for 33 percent.
Northeast got within 38-32 with 16:22 remaining when Leroy Buchanan made a layup. JCJC ran the lead back to 44-32 on two Bruce Stevens free throws with 14:15 left.
The Tigers then pulled within 46-40 on a Harris basket with 10:30 left. JCJC then went back ahead 55-43 with 7:52 left on a Davis field goal.
Northeast then used a 12-2 run and got to within 57-55 with 3:28 remaining on a Harris 3-point play. Dunlap then made a free throw and Rickey Holden then scored at 2:55 to make it 60-55.
Harris then hit a 3-pointer for the Tigers, but Dunlap made two free throws with 2:20 left to give Jones a 62-58 lead. Harris responded with another 3-pointer with 2:04 to play.
That set up the game's final frantic minutes.
Holden paced the Bobcats, 16-6, with 17 points. Stevens, who missed the majority of the first half with two fouls, scored all 15 of his points in the second half. Davis added 12.
Harris had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Tigers, 15-9, and Kendall Stafford added 15 points.
Stevens and Holden had seven rebounds each, Dunlap had four assists and Walley had three steals for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats were 19-of-50 from the floor (5-of-13 from 3-point range) for 38 percent. JCJC was 24-of-36 from the free throw line.
Northeast was 21-of-52 from the field (7-of-22 from 3-point range) for 40 percent. The Tigers were only 14-of-25 from the free throw line.
Northeast outrebounded Jones, 39-37. The Bobcats committed 12 turnovers, compared to 16 for the Tigers.
 
MACJC Tournament
Fulton
Davis Event Center
MEN
Monday's game
Jones County 67, Northeast Mississippi 63
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI (15-9) – Wesley Harris 22, Kendall Stafford 15, Kendarius Smith 8, Leroy Buchanan 5, Tray Lawson 5, Raheem Sorrell 3, Dashiell Franklin 2, Jack Nichols 2, Antonio Dodson 1, Frank Roberts 0, Desmin Harris 0.
JONES COUNTY (16-6) – Rickey Holden 17, Bruce Stevens 15, David Davis 12, Maurice Dunlap 9, Tristin Walley 8, Zebedee Rice 4, Xavier Howard 2, Andrew Riley 0, Andre Johnson 0, Christian Robertson 0, Emetric Fells 0, Albert Goss 0.
Northeast              20 43 – 63
Jones County       32 35 – 67
 
 
MACJC TOURNAMENT
Itawamba Community College
Fulton
Davis Event Center
 
WOMEN
Tuesday's games
N2, Northwest (16-4) vs. S3, Copiah-Lincoln (20-3), 1 p.m.
S1, East Central (21-2) vs. N4, East Mississippi (13-8), 3 p.m.
N1, Itawamba (18-5) vs. S4, Southwest (17-6), 6 p.m.
S2, Jones County (18-5) vs. N3, Holmes (17-6), 8 p.m.
Wednesday's games
Northwest/Co-Lin winner vs. East Central/East Mississippi winner, 1 p.m.
Jones County/Holmes winner vs. Itawamba/Southwest winner, 6 p.m.
Thursday's game
Championship, 6 p.m.
 
MEN
Monday's results
Southwest 86, Northwest 80
East Mississippi 80, Pear River 73
Mississippi Gulf Coast 100, Holmes 88
Jones County 67, Northeast 63
Wednesday's games
Southwest vs. East Mississippi, 3 p.m.
Jones County vs. Mississippi Gulf Coast, 8 p.m.
Thursday's game
Championship, 8 p.m.