SUMMIT, Miss. — Pearl River women's basketball never trailed Monday night against Southwest, defeating the Bears 71-48 to move to the top of the MACCC standings.
"We knew they were going to be well coached, and we talked about setting the tone of the game," head coach Shanae Govan-Williams said. "We talked to the girls about just coming out hard, no matter if the ball is going through or not. We can control what we can control with our effort and our defense, and I think we did that for four quarters tonight."
Pearl River (18-5 overall; 11-1 MACCC) opened the scoring on its first possession when Jahanna Wilson (Jackson; Callaway) drove into the lane and knocked down a jumper for a 2-0 lead. She followed with a layup on the next trip down the floor, quickly giving the Wildcats a two-possession advantage.
Southwest (7-18; 3-9) answered with three points, but Mattison Bell (Philadelphia, Choctaw Central) responded with a corner 3-pointer to push the lead to 7-3. The Wildcats continued to build momentum, closing the first quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 14-5 lead.
In the second quarter, the Bears cut the deficit to 17-11 after scoring five of the first eight points. Pearl River quickly regained control as Bell buried another 3-pointer to spark a 10-0 run, stretching the lead to 27-11. The Wildcats maintained their defensive pressure and outscored Southwest 8-4 over the remainder of the half to carry a 34-15 advantage into the break.
After halftime, both teams traded baskets early in the third quarter before the Wildcats pulled away again. With the score at 37-20, Madison Hughes(Olive Branch; Center Hill) caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 43-20 midway through the period. Behind steady contributions from Wilson, Alana Smith (Southhaven) and Chauncey Dixon (Leroy, Ala.; McIntosh), Pearl River pushed its lead to 56-34 entering the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats continued to apply pressure in the final frame. A Bell steal led to an and-one opportunity, followed by a Jae'la Smith (Vicksburg; Porter's Chapel) layup and two free throws from Alana Smith that stretched the lead to 67-40 — the largest of the night. Pearl River closed out the game comfortably to secure the 71-48 win.
LEADING THE WAY
Wilson recorded her first double-double of the season, finishing with 15 points and 10 assists while shooting an efficient 6-of-10 from the field. Bell added 13 points, including six from beyond the arc.
Hughes scored nine points — all from three-point range — while Jae'la Smith contributed four points, six rebounds and four assists. Alana Smith also reached double figures with 10 points, shooting 2-for-4 from three-point range.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats head back to Poplarville for their final home game, playing Hinds at 5:30 p.m.
TICKETS
Tickets are available at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets. Tickets purchased in advance are $9, while tickets purchased on game day are $11.
TUNE IN
All home Pearl River basketball games are livestreamed for free at PRCCMedia.com/Gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire , or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.
Games will also be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320-AM and 106.9 FM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
