CLINTON – The Jones College Bobcats went cold at the wrong time vs. No. 2 Pearl River here Friday night at A.E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College.
 
The Bobcats went without a field goal for almost eight minutes late in the game and dropped a 75-62 decision to the Wildcats in the Region 23 Tournament championship game.
 
Jones ends the season at 20-7, while Pearl River (28-0) will head to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament March 16-21 in Hutchinson, Kansas.
 
The Bobcats took a 54-52 lead on a 3-pointer by Sayveon Bumpers (Quitman) with 9:42 left in the game. But they would not score again from the floor until Bumpers made a layup with 1:45 to play to cut PRCC's lead to 71-60.
 
A 3-pointer by Casey Smith Jr. (Columbus) gave Jones its biggest lead of the second half at 51-47 with 11:21 left. But PRCC would outscore the Bobcats 28-11 the rest of the way.
 
Jones got off to a good start and took its longest lead of the game at 13-8 on a SharDarrion Allen (Raymond) free throw with 12:08 to play in the opening half.
 
But the Bobcats began to get into foul trouble and the Wildcats would come back. Rodgerick Brown's layup at 2:35 gave Pearl River its longest lead of the first half at 33-24.
 
Jones battled back and got within 35-32 at halftime when Tradavis Thompson (Raymond) made two free throws with four seconds showing on the clock.
 
The Bobcats continued to battle back in the second half, but could not keep up the momentum down the stretch.
 
Thompson had 14 points and seven rebounds for Jones. Smith had 11 points and four assists. Allen, JC's leading scorer, was limited by foul trouble and only played 22 minutes. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. 
 
Jones was 21-of-65 from the floor for 32 percent and only made 3-of-16 3-pointers for 19 percent.
 
Brown led the Wildcats with 21 points. Tae Hardy had 15 points and Isaih Moore had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Cameron Smith had nine points and 10 rebounds. 
 
The Wildcats were 27-of-63 from the field for 43 percent and 3-of-15 from beyond the arc for 20 percent.
 
Pearl River outscored Jones 34-26 on points in the paint and outrebounded the Bobcats, 50-36.