PERKINSTON –
Tristin Walley's (Hattiesburg) free throw with 1.7 seconds left lifted No. 9 Jones County Junior College to a 90-89 victory over Mississippi Gulf Coast here Thursday night at a packed Weathers/Wentzell Center.
The Bobcats trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half and they were down 78-63 with just 9:30 remaining in the game.
JCJC is now 20-1 overall 11-1 in the MACJC South Division. The Bobcats own a two-game lead over Southwest with two games to play in the division. The winner of the South Division hosts the MACJC Tournament Feb. 27-March 2.
Thursday's game was a classic MACJC contest that had the fans buzzing all night.
Winston Morgan hit a 25-footer with 9:30 left to give the Bulldogs a 78-63 lead. MGCCC led 84-75 with just over five minutes to play.
Walley scored on a tip-in with 5:21 left to make it 84-77.
Leito Holloway (Charlotte, North Carolina) then hit back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the lead to 84-83 with 4:00 left.
Zach Parker made two free throws with 3:40 to play to put the Bulldogs up, 86-83. Walley scored on a rebound with 2:25 left to make it 86-85. Tedrian Brisco's two free throws with 1:59 play gave MGCCC an 88-85 lead.
Bruce Stevens (Bay Springs) scored inside at 1:45 to make it, 88-87.
The Bulldogs then turned the ball over, but the Bobcats missed a shot and MGCCC got the rebound. Davion Cole-Johnson then went to the goal and had his shot blocked by Stevens.
Walley then converted a layup with 36.3 seconds left to give the Bobcats their first lead of the second half at 89-88.
Cole-Johnson was fouled with 14.4 seconds to play and had a chance to give the Bulldogs the lead. But he missed the first and made the second to leave the game tied at 89-89.
Jones got the ball to Walley, who took it to the goal and drew the foul. He made the first to the Bobcats, but missed the second.
MGCCC grabbed the rebound and called time with 1.5 seconds to play.
After another timeout, the Bulldogs got the ball inbounds, but a shot from around 60 feet was not close and the Bobcats had pulled off the stunning victory.
JCJC got off to a good start and took a 16-10 lead with 13:42 left in the first half when
Xavier Howard (Pearl) scored.
The Bobcats led 35-34 when MGCCCC closed the half on a 13-0 run over the final 2:29 and took a 47-35 halftime lead.
The Bulldogs would take their longest lead of the game at 62-46 with 15:19 left when Parker made three free throws.
Walley led the Bobcats with 20 points.
David Davis (Purvis) had 14, Holloway had 13 and Stevens finished with 12.
Parker topped the Bulldogs with 27 points, while Morgan and Cole-Johnson added 20 each.
The Bulldogs are 16-5 overall, 8-4 in the division.
The Bobcats will conclude the home portion of the 2016-17 regular season on Monday with "Sophomore Night" at A.B. Howard Gymnasium. JCJC will host East Central with the men's game at 7:30 p.m. The game will air on
www.jcjc.tv.
MGCCC goes to Pearl River on Monday.
Thursday's game
Perkinston
Weathers/Wentzell Center
MEN
Jones County 90, Miss. Gulf Coast 89
Jones County (20-1, 11-1) 35 55 – 90
Miss. Gulf Coast (16-5, 8-4) 47 42 – 89
JONES COUNTY (90) – Tristin Walley 20,
David Davis 14,
Leito Holloway 13,
Bruce Stevens 12,
Marsellis Purvis 7,
Rickey Holden 7,
Maurice Dunlap 6,
Enrique Milton 5,
Xavier Howard 4,
Andre Tieu 2.
MISS. GULF COAST (89) – Zach Parker 27, Winston Morgan 20, Davion Cole-Johnson 20, Harvey Smart 8, Jaylen Peters 2, E.J. Galloway 0, Qua'darius Green 0.
