Wednesday, January 20, 2010

River splits at Southwest
Lady Wildcats fall 75-53, Wildcats win 64-60

     POPLARVILLE — Pearl River Community College split with Southwest Mississippi in women’s and men’s MACJC South Division basketball action here Tuesday.
     The Lady Wildcats fell 75-53 to the Lady Bears to drop to 7-8 overall and 1-3 in division play, while the Wildcats took a hard-fought 64-60 decision to improve to 11-4 and 2-2. Southwest’s women improved to 7-3 and 3-1, while its men are now 2-8 and 2-2.
     In the women’s game, SMCC led 37-24 at the intermission, then outscored PRCC 38-29 in the second half to take the 22-point victory.
     Pearl River was 20 of 61 (32.8 percent) from the field to Southwest’s 32-of-60 (53.3 percent) effort, while the Lady Wildcats sank a seven of 28 three-point attempts (25 percent) to the Lady Bears’ four-of-15 (26.7 percent) showing. At the foul line, PRCC was six of 10 (60 percent), while SMCC was seven of nine (77.8 percent).
     Kenyatta Epps of Yazoo City paced The River with a game-high 28 points, including four three pointers; while Shandell Peters of East Marion added six, Sam Fairley of Hattiesburg High and Charlene Green of South Pike, four each, Nicole Holder of Lumberton High four (game and career-high 14 rebounds), Shundrea Windham of Laurel High three (seven rebounds), and Courtney Lacoste of Hancock County two.
     For Southwest, Octavia Bearden led with 19 points, while Iviel Stuart added 10, Desiree Dotey nine, Brittany patterson and Alisha Rayborn, six each; Kierra Addison five, LaTonia Anthony, Kacey Elphage, and Valerie Eubanks, four a piece; Courtney Carruth and Haley Cumberland, three each; and Ta’keya Felder two.
     In men’s action, PRCC led 29-22 at the break, but Southwest bounced back to outscore the Wildcats 38-35 in the second half only to fall five point shy of victory.
     Pearl River was 25 of 53 (47.2 percent) from the field to Southwest’s 23-of-54 (42.6 percent) effort, while the Wildcats sank a one of six three-point attempts (16.7 percent) to the Bears’ three-of-13 (23.1 percent) showing. At the foul line, PRCC was 13 of 32 (40.6 percent), while SMCC was 11 of 17 (64.7 percent).
     Rod Little of Moss Point paced The River with 13 points, while Emil Jones of North Forrest added 12 and hauled in a game-high 11 boards. Kenderek Washington of Hinds AHS scored 11 (six rebounds), Mykael Keeler of Oak Grove High and Desmond Ratliff of Canton High, 10 each; Denzel McDaniel of Mobile, Ala., seven; and LaKendrick May of Prentiss High one.
     D.J. Lewis and Mitch Thompson led Southwest with 15 points each, while Chris London and Phillip Morris scored seven each, Tyler Cunningham six, Derrick Harris four, P.J. McCray three, Julius Brown two, and Antoine Tucker one.
     Pearl River hosts Southwest in a division rematch Thursday, Feb. 11, in Poplarville.
     PRCC returns to South Division action Thursday when its women and men travel to East Central in Decatur for 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men) contests before returning home to host division rival Copiah-Lincoln Monday, Jan. 25, at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men).