Co-Lin topples No. 7 Jones College

WESSON, Miss. - In front of an energizing home crowd in Mullen Gymnasium, the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Lady Wolves defeated the No. 7 ranked Jones College Lady Bobcats on sophomore night, 71-68. The stellar win put an end to a two-game losing streak, closed out the regular season on a thrilling high note, and put the only blemish on the Lady Bobcats MACJC record. The win moves Co-Lin to 13-10 overall, and 7-7 in MACJC play, while Jones drops to 19-3, 13-1. In order to make the state playoffs the Lady Wolves needed the win and have help from either a Meridian win over Pearl River or a Hinds win over Mississippi Gulf Coast, but unfortunately, neither team was able to pull through which results in Co-Lin just missing the state playoffs. That said, Co-Lin could still find themselves in the NJCAA Region XXIII Tournament if certain situations play out in state tournament play.

"It ended up with us just one game out of the playoffs, it is great to get a win like this at the end, but we couldn't take care of some business during the season while we had some injuries and it cost us," said Co-Lin head coach Gwyn Young. "There is a slim chance we could be in the region tournament, but overall I'm just really pleased with our players in this win. We did a great job rebounding, especially in the second half, and played great defense. It was just some great effort and showed that we can really play when we are on the same page."

Both teams showcased their skills in the first quarter as the two historically dominant south division foes went shot-for-shot in the opening 10 minutes of play. With three minutes remaining in the first quarter the game was knotted at 11-11, which was already the third tie of the contest. A late three-pointer from Orlandrea McGee and a basket from TaMara Riley put the Lady Wolves up by three, 18-15, going into the second quarter. 

The second quarter was much of the same as both Jones and Co-Lin traded baskets. The Lady Wolves saw several trips to the free throw line and capitalized on the opportunities. In the first half alone, Co-Lin went 17-for-22 from the stripe. The shots were the result of Co-Lin attacking the basket at appropriate times and putting the Lady Bobcats on their heels by getting several starters in foul trouble early. Going into the break, Co-Lin led by two, 37-35. 

The Lady Wolves came out hot to start the second half with big baskets from Sha'Quandra Carter and Dashell Davis. The quick 5-1 run put Co-Lin up by six, 42-36. Jones quickly hit back to avoid Co-Lin from expanding the lead as they chipped away over the next five minutes. With 2:26 remaining in the third, the Lady Bobcats, led by Kacey Bradford, fired a 6-0 run. The scoring burst put Jones back on top, 50-48. A pair of free throws from Carter and a second chance basket down low from Camryn Davis regained the lead for Co-Lin, 52-50 going into the final 10 minutes.

Chardonay Williams came off the bench for Co-Lin and nailed a three-pointer to open the fourth quarter to get the fans on their feet in Mullen. Co-Lin went on to grow the lead to a game-high seven, 65-58, later in the fourth as Darien Tubby drove to the basket for a layup. Once again, Jones began rallying back. Another 6-0 run, this time at the hands of Daja Woodard and Destiny Haymer, cut Co-Lin's lead to just one, 67-66. After trading baskets, Co-Lin led 69-68, but the Lady Bobcats had possession with less than 30 seconds remaining. With just 11 seconds remaining, Carter drew a charge to regain possession. The sophomore followed with a pair of huge free throws that grew the lead to 71-68. Jones' would-be tying shot at the buzzer missed and Tubby grabbed the board to secure the upset. 

Carter led Co-Lin with 17 points after going 7-for-8 from the stripe. Riley finished with 14 points, while Camryn Davis netted 13. McGee came off the bench and added nine. Dashell Davis dominated the boards for the Lady Wolves as she hauled in 13 rebounds and posted four blocks. 

Keyara Jones led the Lady Bobcats with 15 points, while Haymer, Chyna Allen, and Bradford all added 10. LaMiracle Sims led the team with seven rebounds.

The Lady Wolves shot 37 percent (22-of-60) from the floor, 25 percent (3-of-12) from three-point range, and 77 percent (24-of-31) from the free-throw line. The Lady Bobcats shot 40 percent (26-of-65) from the floor, 12 percent (2-of-17) from downtown, and 70 percent (14-of-20) from the stripe. The Lady Wolves outrebounded the Lady Bobcats, 48 to 39.