POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 19 Pearl River women's basketball team overcame a poor shooting day with an incredible effort on the defensive end Saturday inside Marvin R. White Coliseum, defeating Andrew College 68-28.
"We were really excited to play and had a lot of energy," head coach Scotty Fletcher said. "Our anxiousness showed. We hurried some shots but were disruptive on the defensive end. We executed from an offensive standpoint — we didn't make the final shot. It was a total team effort defensively today, though. Your defense is always what carries."
Pearl River (2-0 overall) was off to a great start in the game, scoring 28 points in the opening quarter. The Wildcats went up by seven points at 15-8 when Peyton Hearvey (Tupelo) picked up a basket.
The lead grew to 10 points at 22-12 soon after. Paris Gilmore (Youngstown, Ohio; Warrensville Heights) smacked the ball away from an Andrew College (0-2) player and went straight into the lane for a layup. Roge'Ne' Hillard (Hazlehurst; Copiah Academy) made it 24-13 by cleaning the glass for an offensive rebound and bucket. When the opening quarter ended, PRCC was in front 28-13.
Pearl River only managed 12 points in the second quarter but still outscored its opponent by eight points. The biggest Wildcat play of the frame came courtesy of Mattison Bell (Philadelphia; Choctaw Central) and Natasha Barnes (Chicago, Ill.; Kenwood Academy). Barnes grabbed the ball and sent a floor-length pass inside the paint to Bell for the easy layup, 39-16. When the halftime buzzer sounded, PRCC held on to a 40-17 advantage.
The third quarter was the Barnes take over as the Missouri State transfer scored nine of Pearl River's 16 points. On three consecutive possessions, the guard's shot from beyond the arc was true — two of which were assisted by Gilmore. The quarter came to a close, with PRCC leading 56-20.
The fourth quarter was tightly contested, with Pearl River only outscoring the Fightin' Tigers by four points. During the quarter, Sydney Lewis (Upper Marlboro, Md.; McLean School) snatched an offensive rebound and laid it softly off the glass for a basket. Before the quarter ended, Kori Ware (Pontotoc) nailed a 3-pointer, and Pearl River walked away with a 68-28 victory.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Barnes led Pearl River in points with 16. She also had four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Gilmore was second on the team with 10 points. She added seven assists and five steals.
"They are two Division I guards that had success at that level," Fletcher said. "Paris communicated and was a true floor general today. Natasha was a knockdown shooter. I was proud to see them get paid back for their hard work and effort today."
NEXT UP
Pearl River returns to action Friday, Nov. 8, for the Gulf Coast Classic. The Wildcats will take on Calhoun at 3 p.m. The game will be livestreamed at MGCCCAthletics.com/watch.
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