ELLISVILLE – Hours after achieving its highest ranking in school history, the Jones College Bobcats celebrated that accomplishment.
 
No. 2 Jones held East Central to a 29 percent shooting night from the floor and smothered the Warriors, 70-49, Monday night here at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
 
The Bobcats are now 9-0 overall, 7-0 in the MACCC. Jones has now won 29 straight home games and has been ranked in the Top 25 for 60 consecutive polls, dating back to 2017.
 
Guard JaKayla Johnson (Clinton) had 16 points, nine rebounds and four steals for Jones. Jayla Alexander (Pearl) and Lekera Hughes (Oak Grove) each had 11 points and Jordan Clark (South Jones) added 10. Daisha Bradford (Mobile, Alabama) had 10 rebounds and Alexander had five assists. Endia Holliday (South Jones) and Kyjai Miles (Dallas, Texas) had nine rebounds each.
 
Jones led 14-13 after the first quarter and 30-26 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Bobcats limited ECCC to only two 3-point field goals and took a 45-32 lead entering the final quarter.
 
Jones took its longest at 61-35 with 4:37 remaining on a fast break jumper by Johnson.
 
The Bobcats were 26-of-77 from the field for 34 percent, but made only 2-of-19 3-pointers. ECCC made just 14-of-48 shots from the floor and was 4-of-22 from beyond the arc. 
 
Jones outrebounded the Warriors 55-38 and had 23 assists compared to 10 for ECCC. Jones forced 26 turnovers and committed 16.
 
The Bobcats had an 18-0 margin on fast break points.
 
Wynter Taylor led East Central with 12 points.
 
Jones will travel to Southwest for a 6 p.m. matchup on March 4.
 
East Central, 1-4 overall and in the league, hosts Meridian on March 4.