River splits with Delta

POPLARVILLE Pearl River Community College split with MACJC non-division rival Mississippi Delta here Thursday to kick off the second half of its 2011-2012 season. The Lady Wildcats spanked the visiting Lady Trojans 62-54 to improve to 6-4 overall, while the Wildcats were 68-62 losers and dropp3d to 5-6. MDCC women, who fell to PRCC 54-50 in a previous meeting played Nov. 14 in Moorhead, dropped to 6-5; while its men, 63-57 winners over The River Nov. 14, improved to 7-4. In the women game, Pearl River never trailed, but saw Mississippi Delta knot the score up twice in the first half 3-3 in the opening two minutes at 25-25 at the 59-second mark. The Lady Wildcats built a 23-14 lead with just over seven minutes left before the intermission, but the Lady Trojans answered with an 11-2 run, capped by Myiesha Stewart only basket of the night, to tie it up for the last time. From there, Shanta Echols of Sumrall High followed with a bucket and Quentessa Bullock of East Marion High split a pair of foul shots in the final seconds to give Pearl River a three-point edge at the intermission. The Lady Cats opened the second half with a 7-2 scoring run in the opening two minutes, then followed with a 25-21 surge to grab its largest lead of the game at 60-46 with 1:57 left. The Lady Trojans outscored The River 8-2 from there on out only to come up nine points shy of victory. Pearl River women defeated Delta 54-50 in a previous meeting played Nov. 14 in Moorhead. Anissa Wilder paced MDCC with a game-high 13 points, while Jocelyn Jordan added 11 (two treys), Calmetta Greyer 10, Dominque Walker six, Shuntequa Lofton and Hannah Robinson, four each; Deshaundra Eatmon three, Stewart two, and Sharaika McCullum one. Echols and Shana Ward, an East Central CC transfer from Carthage, led PRCC with 11 each; while Bullock added 10, Toy Johnson of Pascagoula High six, Jeronda Beason of Poplarville High and Alayna Bridges of Oak Grove High, give each; Branita Malone out of Choctaw High in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Daiquari Raine of Poplarville High, four each; and Kyiana Allen, a Southern Shreveport CC transfer from Ruston, La., Chaquita McGee of Yazoo City High, and Lolecia Richardson out of Provine High in Jackson, two a piece. Delta hit 62.5 percent (15 of 24) from the foul line, while Pearl River hit 77.8 percent (14 of 18). In the men game, the lead exchanged hands four times and the score was tied six times in the opening 14 minutes, but Josh Carpenter of Oak Grove High hit a basket with 5:24 left before the intermission to snap a 19-19 stalemate that kicked off a dominating 17-5 Wildcat run to give the hosts a commanding 36-24 lead at the half. Less than four minutes into the second half, Daron Bell of Bay High was fouled on a trey attempt and sank three straight foul shots to pump The River lead to 45-30 its largest of the game but the visiting Trojans answered with a 12-0 scoring surge to cut the lead to 45-40 with 12:22 left. Six minutes later, Laquavious Cotton sank back-to-back threes to give Delta a 55-54 edge. The two teams exchanged the lead with two-point baskets over the next minute before Yondarius Johnson, a Grambling State (La.) transfer from Plain Dealing, La., pulled off a three-point play then followed with another free throw to put the Wildcats up 62-57 with 3.29 remaining. Johnson antics were the final points for the Wildcats, as the Trojans responded with an 11-0 run to ice the game. Danny Bolden was good for six points, including a trey, during the game-ending run. Bolden led MDCC with 15 points (two threes), while Karahzion Crawford and Harry Williams added 10 each. Laquavius Cotton (two treys) and Sean Hall scored eight each, while Kwahmere Gredie added five, Xzabian Ramiz and Andre Thomas, three each; and Courtney Nixon one. Zane Knowles, a Grambling State (La.) transfer from Nassau, Bahamas, led PRCC with 15; while Quentin Watkins out of Lanier High in Jackson added 14 (two treys), Bell 11, Johnson eight, Carpenter six, Raheem England of Decatur (Ala.) High five, and Mike Henry of Wayne County High three. The Trojans hit 72.7 percent (16 of 22) at the foul line, while the Wildcats hit 54.5 percent (12 of 22). PRCC men fell to MDCC 63-57 in a previous meeting played Nov. 14 in Moorhead. Pearl River returns to action Tuesday when it hosts MACJC South Division foe Southwest Mississippi at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men), then division rival Hinds plays host in Utica on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men).