ELLISVILLE – Jones College used a sterling defensive effort to gain a much-needed victory here Thursday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
 
The Bobcats limited Enterprise State to just 33 percent shooting from the field and whipped the Boll Weevils, 73-54.
 
The win snapped a six-game losing skid and upped the Bobcats record to 4-7. Enterprise State fell to 1-17.
 
Jones only led 49-45 entering the final quarter before putting the squeeze on the Boll Weevils. The Bobcats did not allow a field goal in the fourth quarter until 31 seconds were left in the game.
 
The Bobcats scored the first 10 points of the final period, capped by a Chrystianna Beeman (Pelahatchie) layup to take a 59-45 lead.
 
Aasia Wilson's (West Jones) three-point play with 20 seconds left gave Jones its largest lead of the night at 73-52.
 
The Bobcats never trailed.
 
Charity Hinton's (Meridian) 3-pointer with 1:11 to play in the first quarter gave Jones a 20-8 lead. The Boll Weevils closed the gap to 20-15 after the opening period.
 
Nina Williams made a 3-pointer for Enterprise State to tie the game at 26-26 with 3:35 showing in the second quarter. But the Bobcats ended the quarter on an 11-3 run with Wilson's layup with 33 seconds showing putting Jones up 37-29 at halftime.
 
A layup by Jailah Swinney pulled the Boll Weevils within 39-37 with 6:38 to play in the third quarter.
 
Jones outscored Enterprise State 24-9 in the fourth quarter.
 
Wilson led the Bobcats with 15 points and nine rebounds. Khyla Ragins (Harrison Central) added 14 points, Valencia McFall (St. Martin) added 12 points and nine rebounds and Hinton had 11 points.
 
McFall had six steals and Allison Liddell (Horn Lake) had six assists.
 
Latarius Montgomery had 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Boll Weevils and Kamri White had 10 points.
 
Jones made 33-of-78 shots for 42 percent, 4-of-16 3-pointers for 25 percent and 3-of-4 free throws. The Boll Weevils were 21-of-63 from the floor for 33 percent, 2-of-16 from beyond the arc for 13 percent and 10-of-14 from the foul line.
 
Enterprise State outrebounded Jones, 47-42. The Bobcats forced 25 turnovers and committed 13.
 
The Bobcats outscored the Boll Weevils, 50-32on points in the paint, 24-12 on points off turnovers and 29-14 on points off the bench.
 
Jones opens MACCC play with a 5:30 p.m. game at Hinds on Jan. 18. The Bobcats meet Itawamba on Jan. 22 in its first home conference game.
 
Enterprise State hosts Snead State on Jan. 18.