ELLISVILLE – No. 12 Jones College placed four players in double figures and defeated Mississippi Gulf Coast 78-63 here Monday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
 
Jones is now 10-3 overall and 2-0 in MACCC play. Gulf Coast falls to 6-3 and 1-1.
 
A three-pointer by Carly Keats gave Jones a 15-4 lead midway through the opening period. The Bobcats led 23-12 after the opening quarter.
 
Gulf Coast got within 31-29 with 3:31 left in the second quarter, but Jones would lead 37-32 at intermission.
 
A T.K. Catchings' layup tied the game at 37-37 with 8:33 left in the third quarter, but Meloney Thames and Sakyia White followed with back-to-back layups and Jones would never relinquish the lead. The Bobcats were up 50-44 after three quarters.
 
Jones would pull away in the final period. 
 
Back-to-back layups by Buford put the Bobcats ahead 65-52 with 5:38 to play. Jones' longest lead would be at the end of the game with Keats making a three-pointer with 22 seconds to play.
 
En'Dya Buford and Keats each had four assists with Buford adding three steals.
 
The Bobcats made 32-of-80 shots for 40 percent and 5-of-20 three-pointers for 25 percent. 

Buford scored 27 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Keats had 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Thames had 11 points and nine rebounds and White had 10 points and 11 rebounds. It was White's 12th double-double in 13 games this season.
 
Simaru Fields led the Bulldogs with 16 points. Ja'Sharreah Hunt added 13 and Catchings and Tytiana Buckley added 11 points each. Catchings had 13 rebounds.
 
Gulf Coast made 26-of-65 shots for 40 percent and 5-of-21 three-pointers for 24 percent. 
 
Jones outrebounded the Bulldogs 48-42. The Bobcats committed 12 turnovers with Gulf Coast making 17.
 
The Bobcats travel to Northwest for a 6 p.m. tip on Thursday.
 
Gulf Coast hosts Mississippi Delta on Thursday.