Women's Basketball | 3/22/2018 12:19:00 AM

LUBBOCK, Texas – The 4^th-seeded Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats just could not put the ball in the basket in the final minutes against 20^th-seeded Trinity Valley Community College (Texas).
TVCC finished the game on a 12-0 run over the final 3:24 and defeated Jones, 78-69, here Wednesday afternoon at the Rip Griffin Center on the campus of Lubbock Christian University in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament.
JCJC head coach Missy Bilderback credited the Lady Cardinals with the victory.
"They did some things we have not seen," she said. "They threw a little fullcourt press on us and we haven't been pressed this year because we are really good in the open court.
"It was just hard for us to get in our normal flow."
The Lady Bobcats had a slow start, falling behind quickly at 7-0.
"I thought it was a combination of things," Bilderback said. "I thought Trinity Valley played well and shot the ball well. It took us a little while to get going. I don't know if it was nerves or what.
"I thought we really played hard and tried hard, but I thought maybe we just didn't catch some breaks and do some things we typically are able to do."
Trinity Valley came into the game with the idea of trying to slow down JCJC guard Alexis Tolefree (Conway, Arkansas).
Tolefree finished the game with 18 points, but TVCC coach Gerald Ewing was pleased with the way his team made Tolefree work for those points.
"Jones is an amazing team and the Tolefree kid is an awesome player," he said. "She was just coming off the regional tournament where she scored 50 points. I kept talking about her and kept showing (my team) film clips. Her range is when she steps into the gym.
"We are a 20 seed and we just beat a 4 seed and that's pretty good. They call it 'March Madness' for a reason."
TVCC kept one player –  usually Dajah Daniel – on Tolefree for the entire game. Tolefree ended up going 6-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-10 from 3-point range.
"They were very specific in trying to take away Lex," Bilderback said. "They made it difficult on her."
Jones fought back and tied the game at 11-11 on a Kira Bonner (Quitman) layup at 3:39 of the first quarter. A Bonner free throw at 1:47 gave Jones its first lead at 16-15, but TVCC would lead 19-16 after the opening period.
The Lady Cardinals maintained the lead throughout the second quarter and took a 41-35 halftime advantage when Tra'Dayja Smith threw in a 15-footer at the buzzer.
TVCC came out in the third quarter and took its longest lead at 48-37 with 6:45 showing when Michal Miller scored.
But Bonner would connect on back-to-back 3-pointers and JCJC got within 50-48 with 5:21 left in the third quarter. A Tolefree 3-pointer at the 1:52 mark cut the lead to 57-55 entering the final quarter of play.
K.K. Tassin (Terry) opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to put the Lady Bobcats ahead, 58-57. A layup by Nique Cherry (Heidelberg) gave JCJC its longest lead at 67-61 with 6:26 left. But that would be JCJC's last field goal of the game.
Cherry's two free throws at 5:04 gave Jones a 69-66 lead, but the Lady Bobcats would never score again.
Two Arleighahya McElroy free throws with 2:30 to play gave TVCC the lead for good at 71-69.
"They got an easy bucket out of a timeout and we had a little dry spell there," Bilderback said of the final minutes of play. "We had a couple of turnovers and missed a couple of shots. It's just basketball and some things did not go our way. They just made a couple of plays and a couple of shots right there.
"But you have to give Trinity Valley credit. They played well and had a great game plan."
Bonner finished the game with 16 points, while Cherry had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Tassin had 3 assists and Cherry had two steals.
Miller had 20 points for the Lady Cardinals, while Tyasia Moore came off the bench to score 16. Mercedes Brooks and McElroy had 13 points each.
JCJC was 23-of-58 from the field (9-of-21 from 3-point range) for 40 percent. TVCC was 28-of-62 (4-of-10 from 3-point range) for 45 percent.
JCJC was 14-of-18 from the free throw line, while TVCC was 18-of-22.
The Lady Bobcats outrebounded the Cardinals, 39-34.
JCJC committed 15 turnovers and TVCC had 13. The Cardinals scored 24 points off of turnovers, compared to only 8 for Jones.
Trinity Valley had defeated Northeast Oklahoma A&M 51-38 in an opening round game on Monday.
Bilderback was asked if not playing for the first two day of the tournament had an adverse effect on the Lady Bobcats.
"We've been in a hotel since Saturday," she said. "But we wanted to experience the national tournament and come out and do the banquet and do the activities. I don't know if I would do anything different."
Cherry was hoping the Lady Bobcats could extend their season.
"Coming to nationals two years in a row is surreal," she said. "I'm just glad we got back here and did it two years in a row. We got a higher (seed) at No. 4, which was good. My experience at Jones was amazing. I really don't want to leave, but you have to grow up and move on. I just wish it was not over."
But now the season is over for the Lady Bobcats and it will be recorded as one of the most successful in the history of JCJC athletics.
This group of sophomores has won back-to-back MACJC and Region 23 championships and made consecutive appearances in the national tournament, while posting an incredible 56-6 record.
"It's just an extremely special group of people and kids," Bilderback said. "I'm just really proud of what they have done for our program here at Jones. I'm like Nique – I just wish it wasn't over. I enjoy being around them every day and I enjoy coaching them.
"That's the reason we wanted to keep playing this week – to be able to play together and stay together. I've got a special group and it's one of the most enjoyable groups I've had in 20 years. I hate it for them because I know how hard they have worked and how much they wanted to win out here."
The Lady Bobcats end the season at 26-4.
Trinity Valley, 29-5, faces Walters State (Tennessee) in a quarterfinal matchup at 5 p.m. Thursday.
To view complete game statistics, go to http://njcaalubbock2018.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/njcaa13.html
 

NJCAA Division I National Tournament

Lubbock, Texas

Lubbock Christian University

March 19 results
G1, Odessa (Texas) 85, Harford (Maryland) 79
G2, ASA Brooklyn College (New York) 60, Salt Lake (Utah 59
G3, San Jacinto-North (Texas) 62,  Hutchinson (Kansas) 51
G4, South Georgia Tech 77, Casper (Wyoming) 65 (OT)
G5, Trinity Valley (Texas) 51, Northeast Oklahoma A&M 38
G6, Walters St. (Tennessee) 80, North Dakota State College of Science 43
March 20 results
G7, Northwest Florida 70, Panola (Texas) 57
G8, Tallahassee College (Florida) 97, Western Nebraska 85
G9, Shelton St. (Alabama) 81, Odessa (Texas) 57
G10, New Mexico 62, ASA Brooklyn College (New York) 59 (OT)
G11, Gulf Coast (Florida) 54, San Jacinto-North (Texas) 45
G12, Seward County (Kansas) 88, South Georgia Tech 81
March 21 results
G13, Trinity Valley 78, Jones County 69
G14, Walters St (Tennessee) 57, Cochise (Arizona) 54
G15, Northwest Florida 68, Moberly Area College (Missouri) 47
G16, Tallahassee 75, Wabash Valley (Illinois) 69
March 22 games
G17, 1 p.m., Shelton St. (Alabama) vs. New Mexico
G18, 3 p.m., Gulf Coast (Florida) vs. Seward (Kansas)
G19, 5 p.m., Trinity Valley (Texas) vs. Walters St. (Tennessee)
G20, 7 p.m., Northwest Florida vs. Tallahassee
March 23 games
G21, 5 p.m., G17 winner vs. G19 winner
G22, 7 p.m., G18 winner vs. G20 winner
March 24 games
G23, 4:30 p.m. Consolation game
G24, 7 p.m., Championship game