Pearl River women’s basketball overcame an early deficit with a dominant 29-6 second-half run to defeat the Calhoun Warhawks 60-47 Monday night inside Marvin R. White Coliseum.
“Sometimes it’s not going to be our night shooting, but what we can control is our energy, our effort, getting downhill and creating shots for others,” head coach Shanae Govan-Williams said. “That was the story of the second half.”
In a physical start, the Wildcats (4-1 overall) struck first when Jae’la Smith (Vicksburg; Porter’s Chapel) hit a five-foot jump shot, giving Pearl River an early 2-0 lead over Calhoun (3-3). Moments later, Madison Hughes (Olive Branch; Center Hill) was fouled on a drive and made a free throw, extending the lead to 3-0.
Calhoun quickly tied it with a 3-pointer, but Hughes answered from beyond the arc, reclaiming a three-point advantage. On the next possession, Mattison Bell (Philadelphia; Choctaw Central) drew a foul on a drive and made one of two free throws, pushing Pearl River’s lead to 7-3.
Three Calhoun layups later made it 9-7 before Toniah Watts (Terry) sank two free throws and Cy’Nara Robinson (McGeehee, Ark.) scored on a putback, giving the Wildcats an 11-9 lead. A Calhoun layup tied the game at 11-11 after the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with both teams trading layups before Pearl River called a timeout. Jahnna Wilson (Jackson; Callaway) then stole the inbound pass, setting up a layup for Robinson to put the Wildcats ahead 15-13.
Pearl River extended the lead to 16-13 on an Aubrey Hill (Tupelo; Biloxi) free throw. Calhoun answered with a layup, but Hill hit a deep two, and Smith scored on a Robinson assist, making it 20-16. Calhoun responded with an 8-0 run, taking a 24-20 halftime lead.
Calhoun started the third quarter strong, outscoring Pearl River 6-1. Robinson then hit two layups to make it 30-25 before Calhoun added a 3-pointer. Down 33-25, Smith made three free throws after a foul on a three-point attempt, then stole the inbound pass and found Bell for a three, sparking a comeback.
Bell added two free throws and later delivered a no-look pass to Robinson for a layup, giving Pearl River a 38-36 lead—their first since 20-18. Robinson and Wilson added layups before Bell found Hughes for a three-pointer, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 45-37 and capping a 17-3 run.
Calhoun hit a layup before fouling Bell, who made two free throws. Hughes then assisted Genea McAllister (Tupelo) for a layup; McAllister added two free throws, and Hughes made one. A Smith pass to Robinson gave Pearl River a 54-39 lead, their largest of the night, ending a 29-6 run.
Calhoun hit two layups, including an and-one, before Pearl River made three free throws. Calhoun’s three-pointer cut it to 57-47, but Pearl River added three more free throws to secure a 60-47 victory.
LEADING THE WAY
Robinson led the Wildcats with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Hughes and Smith each contributed 10 points, combining for 20 points overall. Hughes added two rebounds and one assist, while Smith pulled down nine rebounds and dished out two assists.
Coming off the bench, Bell provided a spark for the Wildcats, scoring eight points, collecting five rebounds, and adding three assists, along with one block and one steal.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats host Hinds at 1 p.m. in Marvin R. White Coliseum on Saturday.
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