FULTON – Jones College could not overcome a slow start and dropped a 68-59 decision to Itawamba here Friday night at the Davis Event Center.
 
The Bobcats are now 15-7 overall and finished regular season conference play at 10-4. Jones will go into next week's MACCC Tournament as the No. 4 seed and will meet No. 5 seed Copiah-Lincoln at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Marvin R. White Coliseum on the campus of Pearl River Community College in Poplarville.
 
Jones trailed 25-9 after the opening quarter and was down 36-13 in the second quarter. They cut the deficit to 38-29 at halftime.
 
The Bobcats got within 48-46 entering the final period, but could not sustain the momentum.
 
Meloney Thames (Choctaw Central) paced Jones with 19 points and Sakyia White (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) had 16 points and 17 rebounds. 
 
Demetria Shephard and R'Daztiny Harris had 20 points for Itawamba. Amelya Hatch had nine points and nine rebounds.
 
Jones made 21-of-59 shots from the floor for 36 percent, 4-of-12 3-pointers for 33 percent and 13-of-17 free throws for 77 percent. ICC hit 24-of-61 shots for 39 percent, 5-of-15 from beyond the arc for 33 percent and 15-of-18 from the foul line for 83 percent.
 
Itawamba is now 14-8 overall and 9-5 in the conference. The No. 6 seed Indians meet No. 3 seed Coahoma at 3 p.m. Monday in the MACCC Tournament.