By Shawn Wansley
JCJC Sports Information Director
ELLISVILLE – The 5th-ranked Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats dominated three of the four quarters of play against East Central Community College here Thursday night at A.B. Howard Gymnasium.
In quarters one, two and four, the Lady Bobcats outscored ECCC 83-30 en route to a 101-59 victory over the Lady Warriors.
It was the seventh straight win for Jones, improving their record to 13-2 overall and 6-0 in the MACJC South Division. Copiah-Lincoln and Meridian are tied for second in the division at 4-2.
Nique Cherry (Heidelberg), Alexis Tolefree (Conway, Arkansas) and K.K. Tassin (Terry) combined for 65 points to spark Jones.
The Lady Bobcats were up 13-10 with just less than four minutes left in the first quarter, but ended the frame on a 12-0 run. Camryn London's (Birmingham, Alabama) basket with 17 seconds showing gave a 25-10 advantage after the first quarter.
But ECCC battled back in the second quarter and tied the game at 33-33 with 3:33 left when Tamirra Haskin made a free throw. The game was tied at 39-39, but a putback by Jaresa Brooks (North Forrest) and Tassin's basket off the glass at the buzzer gave Jones a 43-39 halftime lead.
Cherry came out and took over to start the third quarter.
She scored 13 of JCJC's first 14 points to give Jones a 57-43 lead with 6:16 showing. Kira Bonner's (Quitman) two free throws with 52 seconds to play gave JCJC a 70-49 lead after the third quarter.
Leading 76-54 with 7:20 remaining, the Lady Bobcats went on a 23-0 run to put the game away. Zakyia Weathersby's (Collins) basket with 1:48 left gave Jones its longest lead of the evening at 99-54.
Cherry and Tolefree had 23 points each and Tassin added 19. The Lady Bobcats were 16-of-24 off the foul line.
Diamond Wraggs and Breanna Riley had 9 points each for ECCC, 9-5 overall and 2-4 in division play.