WESSON – It was a dramatic finish here Thursday night at a packed Mullen Gymnasium/Gwyn Young Court.
Jones County Junior College freshman guard Alexis Tolefree (Conway, Arkansas) buried a 3-point shot from the right wing at the buzzer to lift the 17^th-ranked Lady Bobcats to a 68-66 victory over the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Lady Wolves.
It was JCJC's 11^th straight win and moved them into a tie with Co-Lin for first place in the MACJC South Division at 7-1. The win also avenged JCJC's only loss of the season, which was 79-68 to Co-Lin back on Dec. 5 in Ellisville.
The Lady Bobcats are now 16-1 overall.
Co-Lin led 57-56 late when Tolefree canned a 3-pointer at 3:49 to put Jones up, 59-57. She then made a free throw at 3:17 and knocked down another 3-pointer at 2:00 to give the Lady Bobcats a 63-57 lead.
But the Lady Wolves roared back.
Alexus Holt made a 3-pointer at 1:37 and Brittany Rose hit a 10-footer in the lane at the 1:04 mark to cut the lead to 63-62.
After a shot by the Lady Bobcats was blocked, Rose would score again to put Co-Lin up 64-63 with 19.4 seconds to play.
After each team called a timeout, JCJC's Tatyana Lofton (Madison-Ridgeland Academy) would find Nique Cherry (Heidelberg) under the goal for a basket with 10.5 seconds left to put Jones up, 65-64.
Following a timeout, Co-Lin got the ball to Rose, who was fouled and made both free throws to give the Lady Wolves a 66-65 lead with 6.0 seconds remaining.
The Lady Bobcats called time and got the ball inbounds on their offensive end of the court. Co-Lin committed a foul, but it was only their third foul of the quarter and Jones was forced to inbound the ball again with 3.3 seconds to play.
Zan Ratcliffe (West Jones) got the ball to Tolefree, who let it fly from long range. The ball went through the net and silenced the home crowd, while JCJC fans celebrated.
It was a close game the entire way.
Jones led early at 9-2 and they were up 17-14 after the first quarter. The Lady Bobcats matched their longest lead of the game at 25-18 with 7:21 to play in the first half when K.K. Tassin (Terry) got a steal and a layup
Co-Lin's only lead of the first half came at 28-27 with 52 seconds showing when Tenazhia Hinkson made a 3-pointer. But Cherry put Jones up 29-28 with a putback and Lofton made a 3-pointer with :02 left to give JCJC a 32-28 halftime lead.
The Lady Wolves would take a 43-41 lead with 2:42 left in the third quarter when Karry Callahan converted a 3-point play. But once again Lofton would come through with another 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Jones a 51-49 lead after three quarters.
Myyah West (Prentiss) led Jones with 19 points, including 13 in the second half, and 13 rebounds. Tolefree had 15 points, including four 3-pointers, and Lofton added 11.
Rose had 31 points for Co-Lin and Hinkson added 10. Callahan had 14 rebounds.
The game statistics were close, too.
JCJC was 25-of-68 from the field (8-of-25 from 3-point range) for 36.8 percent. Co-Lin was 24-of-66 from the floor (5-of-21 from 3-point range) for 36.4 percent.
JCJC was 10-of-17 from the free throw line, while Co-Lin was 13-of-18.
The Lady Bobcats committed 17 turnovers, compared to 15 for Co-Lin. Jones outrebounded Co-Lin, 45-43.
The score was tied nine times and there were 12 lead changes.
The Lady Wolves are now 14-2 overall.
JCJC returns home to face Hinds at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at A.B. Howard Gymnasium. The game will air on www.jcjc.tv.
Co-Lin will travel to Mississippi Gulf Coast on Monday.
 
Thursday's game
Wesson
Mullen Gymnasium/Gwyn Young Court
WOMEN
Jones County 68, Copiah-Lincoln 66
Jones County  (16-1, 7-1)            17 15 19 17 – 68
Copiah-Lincoln  (14-2, 7-1)          14 14 21 17 – 66
JONES COUNTY (68) – Myyah West 19, Alexis Tolefree 15 Tatyana Lofton 11, Nique Cherry 8, Kyle Felton 5, K.K. Tassin 5, Zan Ratcliffe 3, Kira Bonner 2, Juliet Esadah 0.
COPIAH-LINCOLN (66) – Brittany Rose 31, Tenazhia Hinkson 10, Karry Callahan 9, Danisha Davis 9, Diamond Smith 4, Alexus Holt 3, Debraia Bell 0, Princess Cohen 0, Caprice Coleman 0, Andreal Fleming 0.