GOODMAN, Miss. — The Pearl River women's basketball team was off and running from the opening tip Thursday night, using the early momentum to coast to an 85-49 victory over Holmes.
"Early we were able to move the ball extremely well and were able to use that to find the extra pass to turn a good shot opportunity into an excellent shot opportunity," head coach Scotty Fletcher said. "Basketball is a game that is played inside out, and we were able to attack the paint with every dribble and create open looks from beyond-the-arc to stretch their defense.
"It's truly an honor to coach these girls because they mean so much to me not only professionally but also personally and I am beyond proud of them for a huge team win tonight."
Fletcher talked about the tough team and environment the Wildcats faced tonight.
"I have a lot of respect for Holmes. They came into tonight 7-1 and they have a really high-octane offense that is going to stretch you out defensively. I think they are the most improved team in the conference and that is a credit to coach (Bridget) Goodnight and her staff."
FIRST HALF
Pearl River (7-0 overall) opened up on a 12-0 run as Halle Traylor (Tupelo) and Alexis Arrington (Terry) combined to knock down four 3-point attempts.
Holmes (7-2) brought the scoreless run to an end courtesy of a layup, but Hama'ya Fielder (Philadelphia; Neshoba Central) answered for Pearl River with a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 15-2.
After three Bulldog free throws cut the deficit to 15-5, Fielder and Arrington continued the barrage from beyond-the-arc, with back-to-back 3-pointers to set the score at 21-5.
The Bulldogs proceeded to go on a run to slice into the deficit 21-12, but Brandy Scott (Hammond, La.) cut the run short by slicing through the heart of the HCC defense to lay the ball up and in to put Pearl River ahead 23-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Holmes opened the scoring in the second quarter by cutting into the deficit 25-16 to force a Wildcat timeout.
From there the teams began to exchange scores with Pearl River holding a slim 29-24 advantage.
Needing a spark, the Wildcats turned to their point guard Ty'Mesha Reed (Meridian) who stepped up to score five straight points courtesy of two free throws and a 3-pointer.
The run continued moments later as Marcavia Shavers (Biloxi) fought through contact to grab an offensive rebound and promptly laid it back up and in to restore a double-digit lead for the Wildcats, 36-24.
After a quick Bulldog response cut the deficit 38-26, J'Mani Ingram (North Augusta, S.C.) caught a pass from Shavers and laid the ball up and in to recapture momentum for Pearl River. The Wildcats closed things out in the first half leading 43-26.
SECOND HALF
Pearl River continued to pile it on in the third by opening on a 17-4 run that included layups from Reed, Shavers, and Keshunti Nichols (Pearl) to blow things open 61-34.
The Bulldogs halted the run with back-to-back baskets, but Pearl River was not done fazed and scored eight straight points to close the quarter leading 69-38.
The Wildcats opened the fourth with three straight layups from Reed, Ingram, and Shavers. Holmes again halted the run to cut into the deficit 77-43, but The Wildcats were never threatened throughout the contest and coasted to a dominant 85-49 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
Reed was a force for the Wildcats offensively, finishing the night with 19 points and five assists.
"I thought Ty'Mesha showed tonight why she is one of the best in the country. She played the point better than anyone I've coached in my 16 years of doing this," Fletcher said.
Traylor was second with 12 points. She also finished with three assists.
Fielder and Arrington were rock solid for the Wildcats defensively. The duo got it done on offense as well as Fielder finished with 11 points and Arrington finished with six.
"Alexis and Hama'ya are two of the best freshmen I've ever coached and have really been able to learn a lot from the older girls around them," Fletcher said. "They have been exceptional from day one and I am glad they are wearing the Maroon and Gold."
Shavers was a force on the glass for the Wildcats and added 10 points of her own.
"Marcavia again showed why she was and is one of the top post players in the country," Fletcher said.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return home Monday against East Mississippi. Tipoff inside Marvin R. White Coliseum is set for 5:30 p.m.
CASHLESS BOX OFFICE
To help improve traffic flow and fan experience, PRCC athletics box offices will be cashless in 2022-23. 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.
TUNE IN
Pearl River livestreams all home games 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.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).