POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River women's basketball team has bolstered its 2023-24 roster in a big way, landing three out-of-state additions. Joining the team for the upcoming season are Wright State transfer Taylor Johnson-Matthews, Gardner-Webb transfer Tiir Nyok and Panola College transfer Avery Young.

"Each player brings a unique skill set and college experience which is what we were looking for," Pearl River coach Scotty Fletcher said. "We are extremely honored and excited to have all three young ladies chose to be Wildcats and look forward to them wearing the maroon and gold."

TAYLOR JOHNSON-MATTHEWS
A 5-foot-9 guard, Matthews spent her freshman season at Wright State. As a Raider, Johnson-Matthews appeared in 30 games, averaging 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.7 steals. She was lights out on her shot attempts, leading her team in field goal percentage with a mark of 49.5. She eclipsed the double-digit mark in points twice on the season, including a season-high of 11 in a contest against Youngstown State.

"Taylor is an incredible athlete and basketball player. She has a high basketball IQ, and she can play inside and out. She's very strong and versatile," Fletcher said. "Taylor has great touch and can score the basketball at all three levels. Her experience at Wright State will serve her well in our league. Her athleticism and style of play fits our system. She will be able to showcase her skill set in our offense and in the open court, which is really exciting." 

TIIR NYOK
Standing at 5-foot-11 Nyok will be able to do it all for the Wildcats. Nyok spent the 2022-23 campaign at Gardner-Webb, playing in 16 games. While playing just five minutes per game, Nyok averaged 1.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. 

"Tiir is another huge addition. She plays so hard on both ends of the floor and is very disruptive on the defensive end with her activity," Fletcher said. "She played in the NCAA tournament and was on a team that won their league and tournament championship. She is a proven winner. She will provide leadership and her style of play will complement our system."

AVERY YOUNG
Young comes to Pearl River with junior college experience, featuring at Panola College during the 2022-23 season. The guard featured in all 31 games for the Ponies and finished the season second on the team in points per game with 12.2. She was tops on her team in assists with 2.6 per game. She chipped in 1.3 steals per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. 

Young recently participated in the NJCAA's Juco Top 40 event with new teammate Hama'ya Fielder (Philadelphia; Neshoba Central).

"Avery is a complete basketball player. She had huge success as a true freshman last year in a well-respected league," Fletcher said. She is a fundamental basketball player with a very high basketball IQ and can score from anywhere on the court. Her leadership and college experience are also something we targeted. She has a quick release and deep range."

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).