Wednesday, January 27, 2010

River splits with Co-Lin
Lady ’Cats fall 91-76 to undefeated Lady Wolves; Wildcats win 70-54 to improve to 4-2 in division

    POPLARVILLE — Pearl River Community College split with Copiah-Lincoln in women’s and men’s MACJC South Division basketball action here Monday with the Lady Wildcats falling 91-76 to the fifth-ranked Lady Wolves, while the Wildcats bombed the Wolves 70-54.
    PRCC’s women dropped to 7-10 overall and 1-5 in division play, while its men improved ot 13-4 and 4-2. Co-Lin’s women remained undefeated at 17-0 and 6-0, while its men are now 3-14 and 1-5.
    In the women’s game, the Lady Wolves built their lead to as much as 16 points — 24-8 — in the opening eight minutes, but the Lady Wildcats answered with an impressive 14-5 to pull to within seven — 29-22 — over the next six minutes.
    Co-Lin closed out the half with a 19-12 scoring surge to lead 48-34 at the intermission.
    CLCC opened the second half with a dominating 34-17 run to build its lead to 82-51 — its largest of the game — with six minutes left, but Pearl River closed out the contest with an equally-dominating 25-9 surge only to come up 16 points shy of victory.
    Pearl River was 23 of 53 (43.4 percent) from the field to Co-Lin’s 37-of-58 (63.8 percent) effort, while the Lady Wildcats sank eight of 18 three-point attempts (44.4 percent) to the Lady Wolves’ three-of-eight (37.5 percent) showing. At the free throw line, PRCC was 22 of 40 (55 percent), while CLCC was 14 of 17 (82.4 percent).
    Co-Lin dominated the boards, out-rebounding The River 37-24.
    Rachel Vigers led Co-Lin with 21 points (six rebounds), while Paige Webster was close behind with 20, including a eight-of-nine (88.9 percent) field goal attempt effort from the field. Latoria Holder added 19 (six rebounds, five steals), Brandi Simmond 15 (eight rebounds), Rokeiya Adams, Shareka Hunt, and Kristin Newsom, four a piece; Nadia Collins three, and Ashley Morrison one.
    Nicole Holder of Lumberton High paced the Lady Wildcats with a career-high 21 points (seven rebounds), while Kenyatta Epps of Yazoo City added 18 (two treys), Charlene Green of South Pike 12 (three treys), Brittany Weathers of Oak Grove 11 (two treys), Shandell Peters of East Marion six, Sam Fairley of Hattiesburg High four, and Courtney Lacoste of Hancock County and Shundrea Windham of Laurel High, two each.
    In men’s action, the Wolves kept it close for the first six minutes, even grabbing two four-point leads, but Mykael Keeler of Oak Grove hit a bucket at the 13:43 mark to snap a 10-10 stalemate and the Wildcats never looked back.
    Keeler’s basket kicked off a 24-10 scoring run that propelled Pearl River to a 34-20 lead at the break.
    PRCC built it lead to 15 points — 44-29 — in the opening five minutes of the second half, but CLCC answered with a 14-7 run to pull to within eight — 51-43 — with 8:55 left. But that was as close as the Wolves would get.
    The Wildcats outscored their guests 21-11 from there on out to take the 16-point victory.
    Pearl River was 25 of 67 (37.3 percent) from the field to Copiah-Lincoln’s 22-of-55 (40 percent) effort, while the Wildcats were two of 13 (15.4 percent) from three-point range to the Wolves’ three-of-10 (30 percent) showing. At the foul line, PRCC was 18 of 28 (64.2 percent), while CLCC was seven of 12 (58.3 percent).
    Pearl River dominated the boards, out-rebounding Co-Lin 51-32.
    For the Wolves, Michael Campbell led the way with 20 points (six rebounds), while Marcus Holden added 13 (eight rebounds), Anthony Evans 10 (eight rebounds, two treys), Dwayne Brown six (three blocked shots), Blaine Roberts three, and Glenn Ford Jr. two.
    Phillip Crawford of Mobile, Ala. (seven rebounds, two blocked shots) and Kenderek Washington of Hinds AHS (15 rebounds), paced the Wildcats with 15 points each; while Emil Jones of North Forrest added nine (seven rebounds), Keeler and Denzel McDaniel of Mobile, Ala. (four assists), eight each; and Rod Little of Moss Point, Josh Moore of Jackson (Forest Hill), and Zach Vickers of Laurel Hill, Fla., five a piece.
    Pearl River and Co-Lin eye rematches Thursday, Feb. 18, in Wesson to wrap up both school’s regular season schedules.
    PRCC hosts division rival Jones County Thursday at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men), then travels to division foe Hinds in Utica Monday for 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men) tip offs.