POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Christian Gilliland (Memphis, Tenn.; ABC Prep) delivered a performance for the ages Wednesday night, scoring a season-high 39 points to lead Pearl River to a 78-70 win over Hinds.
"Christian is incredible," Pearl River head coach Chris Oney said. "He's amazing when you watch him get in the air. He moves his body, gets into position and still finishes strong most of the time. I'd love to be able to watch him in a Pearl River uniform next year, but I know Siena is excited to get him."
Oney talked about what the difference was in the contest.
"They made it hard for us to get into our offense early," he said. "Switching back to man in the second half got our motors revved up, and that turned into offense for us."
The Wildcats (16-12 overall, 8-5 MACCC) opened the night on a 5-0 run as Gilliland (Memphis, Tenn.; ABC Prep) knocked down a pair of free throws and Reece Garrison (Olive Branch) converted a contact layup and completed the three-point play.
Pearl River later held a 17-13 lead following a layup from Daijon Leatherman (Slidell, La.; Legacy School of Sports and Sciences), but the advantage slowly evaporated as Hinds (15-13, 5-7) worked its way back into the contest. Despite several highlight-reel moments — including a Kelan Rich (Pascagoula) full-court pass that led to a tomahawk slam by Kamarian Mayfield (Waynesboro; Quitman) — the Bulldogs carried a 36-33 lead into halftime.
Pearl River trailed until the 11-minute mark of the second half, when Gilliland coasted down the floor for a fastbreak layup to give PRCC a 53-52 lead. Lazarus Mason (Atlanta, Ga.; Grayson) added to the momentum moments later, drilling a corner 3-pointer off a Gilliland assist to make it 59-56.
From there, the Wildcats took control. Gilliland went coast-to-coast for a two-handed slam to push the lead to 65-62, then followed with another fastbreak bucket to extend the margin. Pearl River built a 10-point advantage at 74-64 and closed out the contest to secure the 78-70 victory.
LEADING THE WAY
Gilliland finished with 39 points, three rebounds, and two blocks. Garrison added 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
NEXT UP
Pearl River heads to Gulf Coast Monday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against the Bulldogs. The game will be livestreamed at MGCCCBulldogs.com/watch.
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