PERKINSTON, Miss. – In a game of runs, the Pearl River men's basketball team was able to hold off a late Gulf Coast run to defeat the home-standing Bulldogs in non-conference action, 65-53 Tuesday night.
The Wildcats held Gulf Coast to their lowest point total of the season.
"First and foremost, how about them, Wildcats," head coach Chris Oney said. "I thought tonight, we grew up as a unit. We were able to outlast a team that had a lot of fight, coach Owen Miller does a great job.
"With them coming out hot, they were ready to play. We had a game plan we were comfortable with, and we stuck with it. We held on with what we were doing and withstood their initial punch. We got aggressive and got the stops we needed."
Gulf Coast (5-2 overall) kept Pearl River (4-2) at bay early in the first half, opening up the game with five 3-pointers to build a 15-9 lead. Kedrick Osby (Moss Point) kept the Wildcats within striking distance by picking up six of PRCC's first nine points during the run.
Following a Gulf Coast shot clock violation, Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo.; Astravo Online) hit a 3-pointer to cut the Bulldog lead to three, 15-12. Sanders then hit another 3-pointer from the corner off a pinpoint pass by Reggie Conner (Biloxi) to tie the game 15-15.
Pearl River took the lead on a Jayden Sampson (Cleveland, Miss.; Cleveland Central) jumper, 17-15. Following a basket by Joah Chappelle (Jonesboro; Ga.; Dutchtown) and back-to-back scores by Krystian Lewis (Monroe, La.; Wossman), the Wildcats increased the lead to six, 23-17.
Sanders added to the Wildcat lead with another 3-pointer from the wing, 29-20. Sanders struck again from the wing with another 3-pointer, pushing the Wildcat lead to 15, 36-21.
On the Wildcats next possession, Chappelle was fouled on a fast break layup and converted the free throw for an old-fashioned 3-pointer, giving Pearl River a 39-21 advantage. Mason Lewis (Stockbridge, Ga.; Woodland) followed with the first points of his Wildcat career, 41-23.
Pearl River headed into the half with a 43-23 lead following a goal-tending call on Gulf Coast off an Osby fast-break layup attempt.
Both teams traded punches to open the second half as Pearl River held onto their 20-point lead in the half's opening minutes, 51-31. The early scoring was highlighted with a sharp pass by Chappelle to a cutting Jamarion Smith (Magnolia; South Pike) for a layup to open the half.
Gulf Coast did not give up and cut the Pearl River lead to seven after a 10-point and eight-point runs, 56-49.
"We are still a team learning how to win and close out games," Oney said. "I thought we showed a lot of guts tonight. With our backs against the wall, we didn't run from the moment."
Sampson stopped the Bulldogs' second run with a put-back basket to push the Wildcat lead to nine, 58-49. A Bulldog 3-pointer cut the Wildcat lead to six, 58-52, with under five minutes remaining.
Sanders came up big again for the Wildcats with a 3-pointer from the corner to extend the lead back to eight points, 61-53.
The Wildcats held on to secure a 65-53 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Wildcats were led by Sanders with 18 points and Osby with 16. Lewis had 11 points, and Chappelle added 10.
"They did what they were brought here to do," Oney said of Sanders and Osby. "This is expected of them; they played in the national tournament last year. They have been in big moments and big games."
NEXT UP
The Wildcats will host Southern University-Shreveport on Friday. Tipoff inside the Marvin R. White Coliseum is 6 p.m. and will be livestreamed at PRCCMedia.com/Gold.
TICKETS
Basketball season tickets are available for $86, granting access to all home regular-season games. Single-game tickets are $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the game. Tickets can be purchased at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets.
TUNE IN
All home Pearl River basketball games are livestreamed for free at PRCCMedia.com/Gold. Fans with 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.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).