SCOOBA – It was sweet revenge for the Jones College Bobcats.
 
Jones outscored host East Mississippi 12-5 over the final 2:11 and defeated the Lions 70-65 here Monday afternoon at Currie Coliseum in the opening round of the MACJC Tournament.
 
The Bobcats will advance to play No. 2 Pearl River at 3 p.m. Wednesday in a semifinal contest. The Wildcats whipped Itawamba 78-57 on Monday.
 
Jones had dropped a 61-58 decision to EMCC in the MACJC championship game last year in Ellisville.
 
But it would JC's victory this go around.
 
K.J. Riley's free throw gave the Lions its longest lead of the game at 53-47 with 6:20 remaining. Casey Smith Jr. (Columbus) would hit a 3-pointer to give Jones a 58-57 lead with 3:48 to play. But Jakorie Smith hit a 3-pointer to give the Lions a 60-58 lead with 2:34 left. 
 
But consecutive 3-pointers by Kenneth Rogers (Starkville) and a layup by Tradavis Thompson (Raymond) put Jones up 66-60 with 1:36 remaining.
 
After an EMCC basket by Donte Powers, SharDarrion Allen (Raymond) got a layup with 34 seconds left to give Jones a 68-62 lead. But Traemond Pitttman answered with a trey and the Lions were down 68-65 with just 25 seconds left.
 
Jones missed the front end of a one-and-one with 17 seconds to play and EMCC got the rebound and had a chance to tie. But the Lions were called for a double-dribble with five seconds left.
 
The Bobcats got the ball inbounds to Rogers, who was fouled with 3.4 seconds to play. A technical foul was also called on the Lions. Rogers made both of the technical foul shots to clinch the game. 
 
Jones struggled from 3-point range in the first half, making only 2-of-12 attempts. But the Bobcats were 6-of-14 from beyond the arc in the second half, making all six in the final 8:29.
 
Jones scored the game's first eight points, but the Lions battled back and took its only lead of the opening half at halftime, 30-29.
 
EMCC led for most of the second half until Jones took control in the final 2:34.
 
Allen posted his 14th double-double of the season, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Rogers had 17 points (three 3-pointers) and Smith had 11 points (three 3-pointers) and five assists. Zachariah Malone (Shady Grove, Louisiana) had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Ladarius Anderson (Jackson Provine) had eight points (two 3-pointers).
 
Arecko Gipson Jr. had 23 points for EMCC (16-8). Pittman added 13 and Jakorie Smith had 11.
 
The Bobcats outrebounded the Lions, 35-30.