Bulldogs fall in Region 23 semifinals to Bobcats, 73-72

JACKSON --- The Holmes Community College Bulldogs trailed to Jones by as much as 13 in the final minutes of Thursday's Region 23 semifinals but battled back to only get to within one, 73-72, before time expired ending any hope of making the finals and the 2023-24 season.

Holmes finished the season 23-9. Jones and Gulf Coast battle tonight for the championship and a trip to Hutchinson, Kansas.

Jones led the entire first half of the game and led 34-30 at halftime. Holmes took a one point lead, 35-34, lead with 19:09 left in the game when Hobert Grayson made a layup and was fouled and made a free throw. The lead was short-lived as Jones retook the lead seconds later. The lead switched again shortly after on a Cameron Wallace layup to make the score 37-36. 

The Bobcats increased the lead to 13 with 3:34 before Holmes began their comeback. Dacory Porter's two free throws made it 72-61 with 3:18 left. Wallace's layup made it 73-63 with 2:07 left before Jalen Tatum got a steal and layup with 1:58 to make it 73-65. A Porter steal with a Grayson dunk made it 73-67 with 1:40 left. Tatum dunked with 25 seconds left to make it 73-69 before Jamar Jenkins hit a three pointer with less than a second left to end scoring at 73-72.

Jenkins led the Bulldogs with 17 points including four three-pointers. Porter had 14, Grayson and Wallace each had 13 and Tatum had 11. Grayson had 12 rebounds.

Holmes shot 41 percent from the floor (25-of-61) and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (16-of-24).