PENSACOLA, Fla. — Pearl River closed out its Pensacola trip with a 54–46 road win over host Pensacola State on Saturday.
“I felt like we had a chance going into the game. We knew they were going to play good defense and that they’re a really good team that can score the basketball,” head coach Shanae Govan-Williams said. “I was proud of our effort, especially in the second half. We told our kids to buckle down and stay confident in what was working.”
The Wildcats (7-3 overall) came out firing on the second day of their Pensacola trip, jumping out to a 7–0 lead over host Pensacola State (11-4). Jahanna Wilson (Jackson, Miss.; Callaway) opened the scoring with a jumper before Mattison Bell (Philadelphia, Miss.; Choctaw Central) knocked down a 3-pointer and Jae’la Smith (Vicksburg; Porter’s Chapel) added a jumper of her own. Pensacola State answered with four straight points, but Pearl River responded with a 6–2 run to close the first quarter, holding a 13–8 advantage.
Pearl River stumbled early in the second quarter as the Pirates used a 12–4 run to take a 20–17 lead. Cy’Nara Robinson (McGehee, Ark.) stopped the surge with two free throws, sending the game into a media timeout with Pensacola State ahead 20–19. Coming out of the break, Robinson scored on two more baskets, but Pensacola State matched the effort, taking a 25–23 lead into halftime.
The third quarter belonged to Pearl River, which outscored the Pirates 17–7 to regain control. Pensacola State scored first out of the break, but Smith and Genea McAllister (Tupelo) answered with back-to-back layups. Robinson added a layup through traffic, and the Wildcats closed the quarter with six free throws, a Smith layup and a Wilson jumper to take a 40–32 lead.
Pearl River opened the fourth quarter with consecutive layups from Bell and McAllister, pushing the lead to 11 and setting the tone for the final period. The Wildcats never trailed in the fourth, as Robinson and Wilson converted layups and Smith went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line to seal a 54–46 victory.
LEADING THE WAY
Robinson led the Wildcats with 15 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. She also recorded a double-double with a team-high 15 rebounds.
Smith followed with 12 points, knocking down all three of her free-throw attempts and adding three rebounds.
Wilson contributed eight points while serving as a playmaker, dishing out seven assists and pulling down three rebounds.
NEXT UP
Pearl River is going on Christmas break and will be back on Jan. 5 to take on Shelton State at 5:30 p.m.
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