TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Lekera Hughes scored a career-high 24 points, JaKayla Johnson added 22 and No. 1 Jones shot 52 percent to knock off No. 5 Shelton State Wednesday night, 83-71, and sweep the season series. 

Jones (15-0) stayed unbeaten on the year with its third NJCAA Top 10 win, while Shelton State fell to 15-4.

The Bobcats will close out the regular season on Friday, hosting Hinds for a 4 p.m. tip-off. Prior to the game, we will recognize the 2019-20 NJCAA Region 23 championship team with a ring presentation. 

Shelton State scored the game's first four points and tied its largest lead, 13-9, four minutes in. 

Daisha Bradford drilled one of the Bobcats' season-high 12 three-pointers on the next possession as Jones outscored Shelton 18-8 to close the first quarter.

Jones never trailed the rest of the night.

Hughes got hot in the second half, scoring 16 of her 24 points and draining five of her seven triples. 

Jones pulled away from a 43-38 halftime lead with a 14-3 run as the lead ballooned to 16 points late in the third quarter.

The Bobcats took their largest lead, 64-46, with under four minutes to play before a last gasp effort from the Lady Bucs.

Shelton strung together an 18-6 run, capped by a Kirby DeBoard and-one, to get within 70-64 with 5:37 left. 

Hughes immediately responded with a triple on the other end to push it back to 73-64 and the Lady Bucs would not get any closer. 

Behind 24 from Hughes and 22 from Johnson, Bradford had 13 points and five assists and Kyjai Miles had eight points and 10 boards.

Jones was whistled for 24 fouls on the night against just 11 for Shelton State. Both Bradford and Endia Holliday fouled out.

Four Lady Bucs finished in double figures, led by Jemeriah Moore with 16.