Jamyus Jones announced his presence in NJCAA Region 14 on Wednesday night as he put on a second-half show to lead Lamar State College Port Arthur past Tyler Junior College 69-61 at Wagstaff Gymnasium.
The win is the fourth in a row for the Seahawks as they move to 7-3 for the season and 1-0 in league play. The Apaches suffered their first loss of the season and fall to 8-1.
Jones helped lead the Port Arthur Memorial High School team to a state championship a year ago and on Wednesday night, he showed just how capable he is in collegiate big-game situations. After scoring just six points in the first half, Jones came alive late to finish with 17. His second-half onslaught included two huge 3-pointers and a 2-point basket, all coming in under two minutes. Those baskets gave the Hawks the breathing room they needed down the stretch.
"It's the same as last year, you have to play hard every game," Jones said. "No matter who you are playing, you always play your best game. I knew we could come out with a win in this one."
The Seahawks showed that confidence throughout the game, opening up a nine-point lead in the first half and then going up by as many as 11 in the second half. This is LSCPA's first win against Tyler since the 2015-16 season.
"We hit some adversity early in the season with a couple of tournament losses but we schedule tough teams for a reason," said LSCPA Coach Lance Madison. "We showed some toughness tonight that comes from playing against good teams."
Terrance Minor, a freshman guard, steered the offense, directing the attack while also scoring well, hitting three 3-pointers en route to a 16-point performance.
"(Terrance) did an excellent job tonight playing the point. He handled the pressure really well and created some shots for his teammates," Madison said.
"Our defense was extremely good tonight and we had some players who did excellent jobs on offense," he said.
Devaughn Thomas, another freshman guard, has seen some offensive success already this season and backed up those early performances with a 14-point showing against TJC on Wednesday. Chris Thomas, a freshman forward, scored six points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
"Once you get to Region 14 games, it's a battle every possession," Madison said. "You can't take a night off. Tonight we came together and won a good basketball game."
The Seahawks return home for a Region 14 game against Bossier Parish Community College on Saturday. That game tips off at 4 p.m. at the Carl Parker Center.