River splits with Holmes

POPLARVILLE The nationally-ranked Pearl River Wildcats remain unbeaten with their 65-50 MACJC non-division victory over Holmes here Monday in Shivers Gymnasium, while the Lady Wildcats remain winless after a 65-53 setback to the visiting Lady Bulldogs. PRCC men, ranked No. 25 in the NJCAA preseason poll, improved to 3-0 with the 15-point win; while its women dropped to 0-2. Holmes men fell to 0-4, while its women are now 2-2. In the men game, the Bulldogs kept it close in the early going, tying it up at 2-2, 10-10, and 12-12 though never taking the lead. Pearl River LaBaron McMillian hit a bucket with 12:05 left in the first half to snap the last stalemate that kicked off a 14-11 run to put the Wildcats up 26-23 at the break. PRCC, which finished the game with a 44.4 field goal percentile on the night, hit only a dismal 37 percent from the field in the first half before rebounding with a 51.9 percent effort in the second. After Holmes scored the opening goal in the second half, Pearl River answered with a 9-0 run capped by a put back by Nick Magee of Columbia High to pump its lead to double digits at 35-25 at the 16:13 mark, then followed with a dominating 28-7 scoring surge to build its lead to 63-32 its largest of the night when Emil Jones of North Forrest High sank a foul shot with 5:29 left. The Wildcats held the Bulldogs to a meager seven points over the impressive run, but Holmes bounced back to close out the game with an 18-2 advantage to cut PRCC lead to 15 at the final gun. Teven Hammond led HCC with a game-high 27 points, including three treys and an eight-for-eight effort at the foul line, while Curtis Bailey and Jeremy Foster added five each, Josh Borden and Jonathan Clay, four each; Jason Gibson and Courtney Reed, two each; and Anthony Borden one. Magee paced The River with 16 points, while Jones added 15 and hauled in a game-high nine boards. Daron Bell of Bay High scored 12, Vincent Gable of Picayune High seven, Pedro Maciel of St. Stanislaus Prep (eight assists) and Kentari Nettles out of LeFlore High in Mobile, Ala., four each; Calvin Johnson of Ridgeland High, Marshun Magee out of Bailey High in Jackson, and McMillian, two each; and LaKendrick Maye of Prentiss High one. Maye also grabbed six rebounds. Holmes hit 34.7 percent (17 of 49) from the field to Pearl River 44.4, while the Bulldogs were three of 15 (20 percent) from three-point range to the Wildcats unimpressive four of 13 (30.8 percent). At the free-throw line, HCC was 13 of 17 (79.5 percent) and PRCC was 13 of 19 (68.4 percent). Holmes had 19 turnovers to Pearl River 18, while the Wildcats held a 33-26 advantage (10-8 offensively, 23-18 defensively) on the boards. In the women game, the lead exchanged hands six times and the score was tied four times in the first half before Holmes Louise Collins sank a three just over four minutes before the break to snap a 17-17 stalemate. HCC led 22-19 at the intermission. The Lady Bulldogs opened the second half with a 19-8 scoring run to pump its lead to 14 41-27 with 12:52 left before the Lady Wildcats answered with a 10-4 scoring surge over the next two minutes to cut the visitors lead to eight before Holmes retaliated with a 13-7 run to build its lead to 58-38 its largest of the game when Kia Funchess scored on a put back with 6:25 left. PRCC outscored HCC 15-8 the rest of the way only to come up 13 points shy of victory. Collins led the Lady Bulldogs with a game-high 16 points (seven rebounds, two treys), while twin sisters Dierra Gilmore and Kierra Gilmore added 12 each. Amber Clay scored 11 and hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds, while Tiffay Williams scored four, Krishonna Chatham (five assists, three steals, Funchess, Brittany Henry, and Marquisha Pointer, two a piece; and Ashley Jackson and Jacquonna Young, one each. Nicole Holder of Lumberton High paced Pearl River with 10 points, while Eugene Fry out of Wingfield High in Jackson added nine, Kenyatta Epps of Yazoo City High eight, Alayna Bridges of Oak Grove High five, Francheska Bowman out of Choctaw High in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Toy Johnson of Pascagoula High, four each; Branita Malone, another Choctaw High (Fla.) recruit, and Shandell Peters of East Marion High, three each; Charlene Green out of South Pike High in Magnolia, Samantha Gunn out of Velma Jackson High in Jackson, and Kristian Lyons of Bay High, two a piece; and Keair Watts of East Marion High one. Holmes hit 37.3 percent (19 of 51) from the field to Pearl River 38 percent (19 of 50), while the Lady Bulldogs were three of 11 (27.3 percent) from three-point range to PRCC two-of-nine (22.2 percent) effort. The foul line proved to be the deciding factor as HCC was 24 of 33 (72.7 percent) and PRCC was 13 of 25 (52 percent). Each team turned the ball over 15 times during the game, while Holmes held a 41-30 advantage (12-8 offensively, 29-22 defensively) in rebounding. Pearl River men travel to New Orleans, La., to play the Loyola University Junior Varsity team at 7 p.m. Wednesday, then the Lady Wildcats and Wildcats return home to host MACJC non-division foe Mississippi Delta Monday, Nov. 15, at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men). PRCC teams eye rematches with Holmes Thursday, Nov. 18, in Goodman at the same game times.