DECATUR, Miss. — East Central made it interesting at the beginning and end of the game against the Pearl River men's basketball team, but the Wildcats were too much to handle as they earned a 59-51 victory to move to 2-0 in MACCC play.
"We came out with the correct mindset, but I told the guys that going on the road in conference play is different," head coach Chris Oney said. "I'm happy we came away with the win, but at the same time, we have a lot of stuff we can watch on film moving forward."
GAME RECAP
Back-and-forth was the name of the game between Pearl River (15-2 overall; 2-0 MACCC) and East Central (8-9; 0-2) in the early going of the contest. The Wildcats opened things up by taking a 7-2 lead before the Warriors fought back to even things up at 9-9.
The teams tied two more times before Pearl River started to pull away. Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.; Timber Creek Regional) started the run. Standing in the corner with the ball, he found some space and drove toward the basket, throwing down a two-handed slam through a foul. Dyllion Redmond (Jackson; Callaway) was key in PRCC's next basket, fighting for an offensive rebound and throwing the ball in the corner to Davion James (Brandon; Northwest Rankin) for a 3-pointer.
James and Redmond switched roles a few plays later, with James finding the driving Redmond and throwing a pinpoint pass for an easy layup. Dorien Goodman (Dallas, Texas; Lancaster) added a bucket for Pearl River before the half ended, dropping a tear-drop shot from a few feet out to help send PRCC into halftime ahead 26-17.
When the second half began, the Wildcats looked like they would run away with the game. Green opened things by firing a backdoor pass to Ta'Zir Smith (Woodbridge, Va.; Virginia Academy) for a score. Following a free throw by the Warriors, Cedquavious Hunter (Como; North Panola) nailed a pull-up jumper, and Green was perfect at the line. Three more points were added to the opening run when Smith caught a pass on the left wing and nailed a 3-pointer, 35-18.
The Wildcats pushed forward and grabbed their largest lead of the night at 46-25 on back-to-back impressive plays. The first saw James take the ball away, rush down the court and bounce a pass back to Devin Jones (Camden; Velma Jackson) for a layup. The next saw Green drain a floater while falling away from the basket.
East Central wouldn't go away, though, fighting back to slice the lead to only nine points, 48-39. Hunter kept the Warriors from surging too much more, putting home a layup and slashing a 14-foot jumper through the hoop.
ECCC made a final push in the contest, but Pearl River secured a 59-51 road win.
BY THE NUMBERS
Smith led the team with 23 points and hauled in six rebounds.
"Those big buckets he made down the stretch were what we missed the first semester," Oney said. "He was able to keep us ahead when they got close."
Hunter and Green finished with 10 points apiece. Green also secured a double-double with 10 rebounds. James came up big with eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
Oney was happy with Redmond's performance, earning four points, three rebounds and one assist in addition to being a lockdown defender.
"Dyllion was great tonight," Oney said. "He defends everyone's best player. He helps out guys who aren't in position defensively, and he's our best rim protector. It'll be huge for us down the stretch if he can score those six or eight points a game."
COMING UP
PRCC is right back at home on Monday to square off against Hinds. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
TUNE IN
All home Pearl River basketball games are livestreamed for free at PRCCMedia.com/Gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.
Games will also be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320 AM and 106.9 FM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.
TICKETS
To help improve traffic flow and fan experience, PRCC athletics box offices will be cashless in 2023-24. Only credit and debit cards will be accepted at the box office. Fans are encouraged to beat the lines and purchase their tickets in advance at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).