ELLISVILLE, Miss. — East Central Community College battled throughout but came up short in a 63-57 loss at Jones College on Tuesday evening at Ellisville.

The Warriors trailed 22-15 after the first quarter before settling in defensively in the second, holding Jones to six points. However, East Central entered halftime down 28-22. The teams traded momentum in the third quarter, with East Central briefly taking a lead behind strong interior play, but Jones regained control late and held on down the stretch.

A'Kiya Ratcliff led East Central with 12 points and five rebounds, while Charity Beemon added 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds for a double-double. Raiyleigh Perry contributed 10 points, five assists, and nine steals in an active two-way performance. Ranyha Pruitt added seven points, and Allison Knight chipped in seven.

East Central shot 38.7 percent from the field and forced 27 Jones turnovers, converting them into 25 points. However, free-throw shooting proved decisive, as Jones went 17-of-26 at the line compared to East Central's 5-of-10.

East Central returns to action later this week as conference play continues.