ELLISVILLE – The 7th-ranked Jones College Bobcats trailed Meridian Community College 49-47 early in the fourth quarter here Monday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
 
Jones then scored nine straight points and went on to defeat the Eagles, 66-56.
 
The Bobcats are now 5-0 and will head to Copiah-Lincoln for a 6 p.m. game on Thursday.
 
Kamryn Estell (Belton, Missouri) started the decisive run with a 12-foot jumper. Kyjai Miles (Dallas, Texas) made a free throw to give Jones the lead for good at 50-49 with 7:40 remaining.
 
Daisha Bradford (Mobile, Alabama) and Jayla Alexander (Pearl) followed with back-to-back 3-point plays to give Jones a 56-49 lead.
 
MCC's Ariana Hart made a layup with 4:53 to play to cut the lead to 60-56, but the Eagles would not score again.
 
The game was tied 16-16 after the first quarter and Meridian led 33-31 at halftime.
 
A layup by Ambreah Waters with 8:18 left in the third quarter gave MCC its longest lead of the night at 39-33. Jones came back to tie the game at 47-47 entering the final quarter.
 
Bradford had 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots. Alexander had 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists. JaKayla Johnson (Clinton) finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
 
Hart had 19 points for Meridian and Sidney Sims added 15. 
 
Jones was 20-of-62 from the field for 32 percent and Meridian was 19-of-62 for 31 percent. The Bobcats were only 2-of-15 from 3-point range for 13 percent. MCC made 4-of-20 3-pointers for 20 percent.
 
The Bobcats were 24-of-40 from the foul line for 60 percent. The Eagles made 14-of-19 for 74 percent.
 
Jones outrebounded Meridian, 52-47. The Bobcats committed 15 turnovers compared to 20 for the Eagles.
 
The Eagles are now 3-1 on the season and will go to Southwest on Thursday.