Jones basketball is in full swing now, and the men’s team has been impressive to say the least. To start the regular season, the Bobcats traveled to Arkansas to play in the Greyhound Tip-Off Classic.
Jones started the classic against ASU-Mid south Greyhounds and played exceptionally well. When the buzzer sounded at the end of the game, the Bobcats had won 85-39. Three of the Bobcats’ starting five scored double digits, with sophomore guard Ky Pernell leading the way with 16 points.
Jones continued its winning ways in the next game, defeating National Park College 118-62. Bobcat forward Avery Thomas scored 22 points to lead all scorers in the game. The Bobcat offense looked sharp in their first two contests with several players getting into the double-digit scoring column.
After an impressive start to the season, Jones came back home to A.B. Howard gymnasium to face the Piney Woods Post Grad Tornadoes.
A hard fought first half made the score at halftime with the Bobcats leading 36-29. During halftime though, the Bobcats adjusted and came out firing in the second half, outscoring the Tornadoes 64-19, giving the Bobcats a 100-48 victory. Leading all scorers with a career high was point guard LJ Hackman with 27 points.
ASU-Mid south travelled down to Ellisville to face the Bobcats for the second time in the young season. Despite the Greyhounds nearly doubling their points from the previous time the two teams played, a 62-point second half gave Jones a 108-67 win.
After playing four games, the Bobcats held a 4-0 record. Those four wins were huge victories, with the smallest margin of victory being 41 points. However, the Bobcats’ next game was against the Bishop State Wildcats. The Wildcats had scored north of a hundred points twice and brought a 3-0 record into the game. This game was going to be the toughest test the Bobcats had faced in the young season.
In a game where both offenses had previously played flawless basketball, defense was the story of the night. The score at halftime was a surprisingly low 39-30 with Jones in the lead.
Both teams regrouped during the halftime break and improved their offensive strategies for the second half. The final score was 87-71 with Jones on top. The Bobcats placed four of their five starters in double figures by the end of the night, earning a 5-0 record.
The Bobcat offense has not disappointed to start the year. Jones, as a team, average 99.6 points per game. The Bobcats are shooting 49% on field goals and 39% from beyond the three-point arc. Five players are averaging over 10 points per game, with LJ Hackman leading the way with an even 19 points.
One of the main ways the Bobcats have improved this season is their play down low on the blocks. Bobcat center Kylan Howze is averaging 8.6 rebounds and currently has 15 blocks in just five games. Howze is also averaging 9.2 points per game, which is almost double his 5.3 average last season.
The Bobcats season is just underway, and they have already started to climb the national rankings. Jones is now No. 6 in the nation, which is three points higher than the Bobcats started the season.
So far, the Bobcat men’s basketball team has lived up to the preseason expectations. The next home game is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
by Ollie Hammonds