River splits with Co-Lin in South Division openers

WESSON Pearl River Community College split with Copiah-Lincoln in MACJC women and men South Division basketball action here Monday with the Lady Wildcats falling 59-53, while the Wildcats rallied from a halftime deficit to win 59-57. The contests marked the division openers for the PRCC squads, while CLCC opened its division slate last Thursday with a split with Southwest Mississippi. Co-Lin women dominated SMCC 55-39, while Co-Lin men fell 78-72. PRCC women evened its overall mark at 4-4 and fell to 0-1 in league play with Monday loss, while its men improved to 4-5 and 1-0. The Lady Wolfpack improved to 7-2 and 2-0, while the Wolves dropped to 4-5 and 0-2. In the women game, Co-Lin led 26-24 at the intermission before outscoring Pearl River 33-29 in the second half to take the six-point victory. Branita Malone out of Choctaw High in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., paced The River with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Samantha Gunn out of Velma Jackson High in Canton, Toy Johnson of Pascagoula High (eight assists, four rebounds), and Daiquari Raine of Poplarville High (four rebounds) added seven a piece. Quentessa Bullock of East Marion High (five rebounds) and Stephanie Fratesi out of Washington High in Leland scored five each, while Shana Ward, an East Central CC transfer from Carthage, added four and Shanta Echols of Sumrall High scored three (six rebounds). Pearl River hit 66.6 percent (six of nine) from the free throw line to Co-Lin 40 percent (six of 15), while the Lady Wildcats were 22 of 54 (40.7 percent) from the field to the Lady Wolves 25-of-50 (50 percent) effort. From three-point range, PRCC was three of 13 (23.1 percent), while CLCC was three of seven (42.9 percent). Pearl River led on the boards with 34 rebounds (13 offensive, 21 defensive) to Copiah-Lincoln 31 (10 offensive, 21 defensive), while the Lady Cats had 24 turnovers to the Lady Wolfpack 20. In the men game, Co-Lin led 31-30 at the break, but The River 29-26 advantage in the second half was more than enough to secure the two-point victory. Daron Bell of Bay High led the Wildcats with 14 points, while Yondarius Johnson, a Grambling State (La.) transfer from Plain Dealing, La. (four rebounds), and Quentin Watkins out of Lanier High in Jackson (three assists) added 12 each. Jeremy Moore out of Jim Hill High in Jackson scored nine (six rebounds), Zane Knowles, another Grambling State transfer who hails from Nassau, Bahamas, seven (seven rebounds); Mike Henry and Daterris Rogers, both out of Wayne County High, two each; and Derionne Stewart of Picayune High one. Raheem England of Decatur (Ala.) High had five assists. For CLCC, Fred Fairman led the way with 14 points and nine boards, while Anthony Davis (three assists) and Jake Reed added nine each, Maurice Williams six (six rebounds), Marshun McGee five (three assists), Mike Buffalo, Joseph Cunningham, and Kelli Puckett, four a piece; and Jay Case two. Ledarious Davis had four rebounds. Both squads hit 75 percent from the foul line Pearl River 21 of 28 and Co-Lin 26 of 35 while the Wildcats were 18 of 44 (40.9 percent) from the field to the Wolfpack 22-of-50 (44 percent) effort. From three-point range, PRCC was two of five (40 percent), while CLCC was one of eight (12.5 percent). Copiah-Lincoln had the edge on the boards with 33 rebounds (eight offensive, 25 defensive) to Pearl River 29 (seven offensive, 22 defensive), while the Wildcats had 12 turnovers to the Wolves 14. PRCC and CLCC eye women and men rematches Monday, Feb. 6, in Shivers Gymnasium in Poplarville. Pearl River wraps its pre-Christmas holiday portion of its 2011-2012 schedule this Thursday when Delgado (La.) visits Shivers Gymnasium in Poplarville for 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men) contests. The River will return to action Thursday, Jan. 12, when it hosts MACJC non-division foe Mississippi Delta for contests at the same game times.