Baton Rouge took down Jones County Junior College on Wednesday afternoon 76-63 in the opening round of the Region 23 tournament. The win improves the Lady Bears overall record to 14-14, but more importantly, earned BRCC a spot in the semi-finals against Itawamba Community College.

The Lady Bears were led by Celica Sterling and Amber Smith. The two players combined for 48 of the teams 76 points. Sterling finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and made 7 of 8 free throws. She also knocked down two critical threes for BRCC in the second half. 

Smith scored 22 points of her own, making 6 of 8 from the charity stripe. 

BRCC has won eight out of their last nine games, while Itawamba is 21-6 on the season and finished as runner-up in the MACJC tournament last week. The two teams did not face one another this season, but the two programs have some history in Clinton, MS. Three years ago, the teams squared off in the Region 23 Championship game which Itawamba won in the final seconds. 

The semi-final matchup is scheduled to start at 2:00 pm on Friday, March 4th. The game will be played at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS.