ELLISVILLE – Jones scored the game's first eight points and raced past East Mississippi, 88-71, Tuesday night for its 18th consecutive MACCC win.

The Bobcats' 17-point win is the largest over the Lions since a 22-point victory on Nov. 30, 2005 in Scooba.

Jones improved to 16-5 overall, 5-0 in conference play, and dropped EMCC to 11-10, 1-4 MACCC.

The lead was 8-0 Jones just 1:55 into the game and the Lions didn't score until the 16:41-mark.

It was seven unanswered for EMCC who cut it to 8-7 before another 12-2 Bobcat spurt pushed it out to double digits.

Jones led 51-29 at the half. 

EMCC got no closer than 13 with five minutes to play.

The Bobcats tied a season-high with 12 threes, with Braylon Barnes hitting six of them. EMCC was just 3-for-18 from deep against 12-for-22 for JC.

Six Bobcats scored in double figures, led by Barnes' 26 points, 16 from Jay Tyler, 13 from Dylan Rowe, who missed a triple-double by two rebounds, Bob Dickson with 11 points, seven rebounds and five blocks, Keron Jackson with 12 and Wesley Lindsey with 10.  

Jones shot 53 percent against 37 percent for EMCC, won the turnover battle and rebounding edge.

The Bobcats travel to Holmes on Thursday for a 7:30 tipoff.