Men's Basketball | 2/20/2018 12:12:00 AM

DECATUR – Homestanding East Central took the lead for good just over four minutes into play and beat Jones County 72-63 here Monday night at the Brackeen-Wood Physical Education Building.
JCJC falls to 11-11 overall and 6-7 in the division. The Bobcats are officially eliminated from competing in next week's MACJC Tournament.
David McCoy (Meridian) scored the game's first basket at 19:33, but it would be the only lead of the night for the Bobcats.
Jaquan Dotson's bucket at 15:35 put the Warriors up for good at 9-7. ECCC ran the lead to 25-17, but a 4-point play by Quentin Pough (Wayne County) cut the margin to 25-21 with 5:03 left in the first half.
The Warriors' longest lead of the first half was 37-25 at halftime.
The Bobcats came out quickly in the second half and cut the lead to 39-35 when Mason Daniels (Atlanta, Georgia) hit a 3-pointer. But ECCC ran the lead back to 50-40 with a Dotson basket with 13:05 remaining.
A Winceton Edwards' (Oak Grove) 3-pointer with 9:48 to play pulled JCJC to within 55-51. An Edwards' layup with 8:23 to play made it 58-53.
But ECCC went on an 8-0 run and went up 66-53 with 3:55 left when Cayman Ruffin made a 3-pointer. ECCC's longest lead was 69-55 with 3:03 to play when Ruffin made three free throws.
JCJC got no closer than the final margin when Pough hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Daniels topped the Bobcats with 18 points. Edwards added 16 and Pough finished with 15.
Michael Williams (Rayville, Louisiana) and Shemar Johnson (New Hope) each had 7 rebounds. Williams had 6 assists and Pough had 3 steals.
Dotson led East Central, 10-12 overall and 4-9 in the division, with 17 points. Ruffin added 15 and Cameron Diggs had 10.
Jones was 23-of-62 from the field (11-of-33 from 3-pont range) for 37 percent. The Bobcats were 6-of-9 from the free throw line.
East Central was 27-of-68 from the floor (10-of-25 from 3-point range) for 40 percent. The Warriors were 8-of-14 from the foul line.
East Central outrebounded Jones, 47-38.
JCJC ends the season at home at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday against Meridian Community College. It will be "Sophomore Night"  for the Bobcats and the game will air on www.jcjc.tv.
East Central ends the season at Hinds on Thursday.
 
Monday's game
DECATUR
Brackeen-Wood Physical Education Building
WOMEN
MEN
East Central 72, Jones County 63
Jones County (11-11, 67)                   25 38 – 63
East Central (10-12, 4-9)                    37 35 – 72
JONES COUNTY (63) – Mason Daniels 18, Winceton Edwards 16, Quentin Pough 15, David McCoy 9, Shemar Johnson 5, Michael Williams 0, Kenneth Knight 0, David Gaines Jr. 0, Omar Steele 0.
EAST CENTRAL (72) – Jaquan Dotson 17, Cayman Ruffin 15, Cameron Diggs 10, Roti Ware 9, Tre Pinkston 6, Josh Green 5, Brandon Williams 4, Jerome Adkins 3, Thurston McCarty 2, Tavonta Jones 1.