Nationally-ranked River bounces back into win column with 78-60 division victory at Southwest

SUMMIT Pearl River nationally-ranked Wildcat basketball squad bounced back into the win column here Monday with a convincing 78-60 MACJC South Division victory over host Southwest Mississippi. PRCC men, ranked No. 5 in the most-recent NJCAA Division II hoops poll, improved to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in division play with the win; which was on the coattail of a 59-53 road loss the Mississippi Delta their first defeat of the year. The Lady Wildcats, on the other hand, suffered an 83-71 setback to the Lady Bears and fell to 3-7 overall and 0-2 in division play. SMCC men dropped to 1-0 and 0-2, while its women improved to 6-3 and 1-1. In the men game, Pearl River held on to a comfortable 37-27 advantage at the intermission before outscoring its host 41-33 in the second half to take the 18-point victory. Troy University signee Emil Jones of North Forrest High (five assists) paced the Wildcats with 23 points and 10 rebounds (both game-high totals), while Phillip Crawford out of Murphy High in Mobile, Ala., added 22 and hauled in nine boards. Daron Bell of Bay High scored 13 (six rebounds), Kentari Nettles, another Mobile recruit out of LeFlore High, 11 (seven rebounds), Marshun McGee out of Bailey High in Jackson four (five assists), Vincent Gable of Picayune High three, and Pedro Maciel, a Centenary University transfer who prepped at St. Stanislaus, two. Cory Lacey led the Bears with 18 points, while P.J. McCray and Phillip Morris added 11 each, Demarcus Pitts nine, Blake Rhodus seven, Michael Hall three, and Parker Moore one. Pearl River hit 52.9 percent (27 of 51) from the field to Southwest 37.7 percent (20 of 53), while the Wildcats were three of nine (33.3 percent) from three-point range to the Bears five-of-12 (41.7 percent) effort. PRCC was 21 of 31 (67.7 percent) at the foul line, while SMCC was 15 of 21 (71.4 percent). The River out-rebounded Southwest 43-25. In the women game, the two teams battled to a 30-30 stalemate at the break, but the Lady Bears took control in the second half, outscoring the Lady Cats 53-41 to take the 12-point victory. Branita Malone out of Choctaw High in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., led Pearl River with 19 points and 10 rebounds; while Francheska Bowman, another Choctaw High (Fla.) recruit, added 14 (five rebounds). Nicole Holder of Lumberton High scored nine (three rebounds), Alayna Bridges of Oak Grove High eight, Charlene Green ouot of South Pike High in Magnolia seven, Toy Johnson of Pascagoula High six, Kenyatta Epps of Yazoo City High four, and Quentessa Bullock of East Marion High and Eugena Fry out of Wingfield High in Jackson, two each. Shandell Peters of East Marion High also hauled in five boards. Kierra Addision paced the Lady Bears with a game-high 22 points (six rebounds, while Brittany Patterson added 21 (five rebounds), Shanekqua Bibbs 16, Jasmine Harbor eight, Valerie Eubanks six (eight rebounds), Candice Wiltz four, and Lacey Orr three. Pearl River hit 46 percent (29 of 63) from the field to Southwest 47.5 percent (29 of 61), while the Lady Wildcats were one of five (20 percent) from three-point range to the Lady Bears eight-of-21 (39.1 percent) effort. PRCC was 12 of 18 (66.7 percent) at the foul line, while SMCC was 17 of 21 (81 percent). The River out-rebounded Southwest 38-32. Pearl River returns to action Thursday when MACJC South Division rival Hinds visits Shivers Gymnasium in Poplarville for 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men) games before division arch-rival Jones County plays host in Ellisville Tuesday, Jan. 18, for 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men) contests.