POPLARVILLE, Miss. — For the first time in the program's history, Pearl River will step onto the court in Hutchinson, Kansas, as one of the final 24 teams in the country playing for the national championship.
The 11-seed Wildcats (25-3) hope Tuesday's noon tip against 22-seed Williston State (22-10) out of North Dakota is the first of a lengthy run at the NJCAA Tournament. Pearl River coach Chris Oney believes his team is built for postseason basketball.
"Just like I said post-game (of the Region XXIII Tournament Championship), why not us?" he said. "We have said all year we have confidence in everybody on our roster to help us win basketball games. The other part that's great about us is our flexibility. We won a game this year where we scored 140 points and then we won a region championship game and scored 57. We won games in each possible way imaginable and this tournament won't be any different.
"We'll have to make some adjustments during the game and we'll have to step up and make big plays like we have done all year."
After ripping through the Region XXIII Tournament last week in Clinton, Oney believes his Wildcats are back to playing their best basketball. Specifically, they're looser than they have been in quite some time.
"I thought they felt relief. I thought entering the Region XXIII Tournament we were the team that's supposed to win. We were the favorites so they walked around and played with that pressure — which really started with the 18 straight," Oney said, referring to the team's program-record 18-0 start to the season. "I think finally they felt relieved. I think we'll go to Hutchinson and play some of our best basketball because we don't have that weight on our shoulders."
BALANCING ACT
With Tuesday's game serving as a milestone moment for the program, there's a bit of a balancing act somewhere in between having fun and treating the excursion to Hutchinson as a business trip.
"Before the region tournament I was really tough on them because I just felt like that's what the team needed. Now, we're caught in between," Oney said. "I want us to enjoy it because it's something the guys will remember for the rest of their lives plus it'll be something memorable for the school. Now, no matter how many times Pearl River goes to the National Tournament, this year's team will be mentioned.
"I want them to go out there and enjoy it, but at the same time, when that ball goes in the air at noon Tuesday, I want us mad at the world, mad at everybody and ready to fight."
BY THE NUMBERS
The Tetons boast a 22-10 overall record and earned a spot in this year's NJCAA Tournament by winning the Region XIII and District XI titles.
Williston State, which won nine straight games to close out the season, averaged 90.1 ppg, while allowing opponents to score at an 84.2 clip.
The Tetons are coached by Rylee Hernandez, who's in his second season leading the program.
"Everybody is good this time of year and they're no different," Oney said. "They're long, athletic and can really, really shoot it. They look like they're well coached. It's going to be a challenge.
"We just have to go there and continue to play the best basketball we can play."
The Wildcats have utilized depth scoring much of the season and boast one of the region's higher powered offenses. LSU transfer and reigning NJCAA Division I Player of the Week Brandon Rachal (Natchitoches, La.; Natchitoches Central) leads PRCC in both scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.9). The Wildcats have two more sophomores scoring in double figures with Cedric Brim Jr. (Tupelo; Shannon) at 14.4 and Eric Thornton Jr. (Canton; Murrah) at 12.7. Jonas James III (Jackson; Murrah) isn't far behind, scoring at a 9.1 clip, and leads the team in assists with 6.1.
The Wildcats average 84.1 points per game. They also boast the country's ninth-best scoring defense, holding opponents to 65.9 ppg.
The winner of Tuesday's game advances to face 6-seed Odessa, which earned one of eight at-large bids plus a first-round bye. The second-round matchup is set for 8 p.m. Wednesday.
From there, the quarterfinals game is at 8 p.m. March 21; semifinals at 7 p.m. March 22; and the Championship at 1 p.m. March 23.
HOW TO WATCH
Every game this year will be streamed at NJCAATV.comas part of their subscription plan. The Championship Game at 1 p.m. March 23 will be televised for the first time by CBS Sports Network.
To keep up with the entire tournament, bookmark the NJCAA's Men's Championship Central page at NJCAA.org.
(For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
