ELLISVILLE – The Southwest Bears used a 16-0 run in the first half and went on to defeat Jones College 75-67 here Tuesday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
 
The loss drops the Bobcats to 10-3 overall, 2-3 in the MACJC South Division.
 
Jones led 10-9 about six minutes deep in the game. Goodnews Kpegeol scored for the Bears at the 8:50 mark to cap the run and give Southwest a 25-10 lead.
 
The Bobcats cut the lead to 31-23 with 3:26 left in the half when SharDarrion Allen (Raymond) scored. But the Bears would take a 41-28 lead at halftime.
 
Jones would pull within 54-49 with 9:20 to play when Kenneth Rogers (Starkville) hit a 3-pointer out of the right corner. Southwest took a 61-51 lead with 7:14 to play on a Querrion Gadson basket.
 
An Allen basket at 5:50 got Jones within 61-57, but the Bobcats would get no closer.
 
Casey Smith Jr. (Columbus) led the Bobcats with 16 points, Rogers added 15, John Rawls (East Marion) had 13 points and Tradavis Thompson (Raymond) added 12.
 
Damian Dear had 31 points for Southwest and Kpegeol added 12.
 
Jones visits Mississippi Gulf Coast for a 7:30 p.m. contest on Thursday. The game will be streamed at https://livestream.com/MGCCCBulldogs/events/8967430.
 
Southwest, 9-5 overall and 3-2 in the division, hosts No. 3 Pearl River on Thursday.