Daytona State pulls away from Jones College in NJCAA Tournament opener, 103-74
Story & photos by Dale Grosbach
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Daytona State College used relentless ball movement and dominant perimeter shooting to pull away from Jones College 103-74 in the opening round of the 2026 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Hutchinson Sports Arena on Saturday.
The Falcons, seeded 17th, improved to 27-7 and will face No. 1 seed Howard College on Monday afternoon in the second round. Jones College finished its season 24-10.
Jones College jumped out to a six-point lead to open the game, but Daytona State matched the Bobcats' intensity and took control. At 12:56 of the first half, sophomore Janiel De Los Santos hit a 3-pointer to give the Falcons the lead for good. Daytona State extended its advantage to as many as 14 points before halftime, taking a 44-33 lead into the break.
The Falcons continued to dominate in the second half, excelling at defending the paint while executing a ball-movement-heavy offense that consistently found open shooters inside and on the perimeter. Daytona State finished 10 3-pointers ahead of Jones College for the game, shooting 50.7% from the field and 48.6% from 3-point range.
With eight minutes remaining, Jones College trimmed the deficit to eight points, but Daytona State answered by outscoring the Bobcats 34 points over the final stretch to put the game away.
Sophomore Adrian Shackleton led all scorers with 24 points, going 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Fellow sophomore Noah Mendy recorded a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Freshman CJ Hall added 15 points for the Falcons. Tyrese Lacey, an All-FCSAA selection, also contributed for Daytona State.
Jones College was led by sophomore Jay Tyler, an All-MACCC selection, who finished with 18 points. Freshman Braylon Barnes recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Bob Dickson added 16 points, and freshman Keron Jackson Jr. went 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
Jones College entered the tournament as the No. 16 seed after winning the NJCAA Gulf Region Tournament. The Bobcats, members of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference, finished 24-9 in the regular season. Daytona State qualified as an at-large entry after finishing as runner-up in the Florida College System Activities Association Tournament.
