ELLISVILLE – No. 7 Jones College jumped to a 26-8 lead seven minutes into the game and never looked back in defeating Three Rivers (Mo.) 99-85 here Tuesday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
 
The Bobcats (4-0) took their largest lead of the opening half at 51-28 with 3:55 showing when Keron Jackson (Memphis) made a layup. Jones led 57-37 at halftime.
 
Jones would take its biggest lead of the game at 85-60 with 9:14 remaining when Braylon Barnes (Brandon) converted a 3-point play.
 
The Raiders would get as close as 12 points on three occasions with the final time occurring at 97-85 with 51 seconds to play.
 
Barnes led five Bobcats in double figures with 29 points. Jay Tyler (Glen Allan) had a career-high 25 points and Wesley Lindsey (Central Hinds Academy) had 14. Jackson added 13 and Dylan Rowe (Madison Central) finished with 12.
 
Three Bobcats – Rowe, Tyler and Bob Dickson (Memphis) – had six assists each and Dickson led the team with six rebounds.
 
Matt Hampton led the Raiders (3-3) with 26 points and Antonio Williams had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sikou Diagouraga had 11 rebounds for TRC.
 
Jones shot 46 percent from the floor, connecting on 10-of-15 3-pointers. The Raiders shot 50 percent and were 4-of-14 from beyond the 3-point line.
 
The Bobcats had 21 assists and committed only seven turnovers. The Raiders turned the ball over 17 times.
 
Three Rivers outrebounded Jones, 43-28.
 
The Bobcats go to Mobile, Ala., for a 7 p.m. Thursday contest at Bishop State and then will host Lawson State at 7 p.m. on Monday.