ELLISVILLE – A strong defensive effort paced No. 12 Jones College to a 73-55 victory over Homes here in the season opener Monday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.

The Lady Bobcats limited Holmes to 15-of-64 shooting from the field for only 23 percent.

Holmes jumped out to a 9-1 lead before Jones battled back and tied the game at 17-17 with :45 left in the first quarter on a layup by Jordan Clark (South Jones). A layup by Jatyjia Jones (Pontotoc) gave the Lady Bobcats the lead for good at 21-19 with 7:31 left in the second quarter. Jones would lead 34-23 at halftime.

A Clark layup with 3:54 left in the third quarter gave Jones a 48-30 lead. Jones was up 51-41 after three quarters.

Ebony Gayden's (McComb) layup with :48 left gave Jones its longest lead of the night at 73-52.

Clark paced the Lady Bobcats with 19 points and Gayden had a 'double-double' with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Keyara Jones (Heidelberg) had 11 points. Destiny Haymer (Holmes County Central) had six points and nine rebounds with Endia Holliday (South Jones) pulling down nine boards. 

Jones was 28-of-86 from the floor for 33 percent, but was only 9-of-18 off the free throw line.

The Lady Bobcats outscored Holmes in the paint 38-14 and off the bench, 47-22. The Lady Bobcats outrebounded the visitors, 58-57.

Gabrielle Bunch topped the Lady Bulldogs with 18 points. Shawanda Gray added 11 and Brysa Maxwell had 10. Jamaya Redd had 11 rebounds for Holmes.

The Lady Bobcats, 1-0, visit Coastal Alabama-North in Monroeville for a 5 p.m. Thursday game.

Holmes, 1-2, hosts Hinds on Thursday.