NEW ORLEANS, La. — The No. 12 Pearl River women's basketball team needed no acclimation period Wednesday night as the Wildcats got off to a hot start and trounced Delgado 68-18.
"We let our defense create our offense tonight," head coach Scotty Fletcher said. "Our ball movement was good, and we made the extra pass. We were so active on defense. We anticipated the passing lanes; we were moving on one accord tonight. We got a lot of deflections to create live ball turnovers and allow us to get out in transition.
"We just had a great start. Our bench energy was very good and contagious. The girls were ready to play."
Delgado's 18 points were its lowest total scored in a game since Nov. 19, 2016, when the Dolphins scored 21 against Copiah-Lincoln.
"With us playing last night, we knew we weren't as sharp in some areas," Fletcher said. "We watched a little bit of film and corrected those mistakes. Defense is our DNA; it's our bread and butter. Any time you're in the right place defensively, you have a chance to get a stop."
The first quarter was one of the most impressive feats of the 2023-24 season for the Wildcats (11-2 overall) as they held the Dolphins (3-11) scoreless over the first 10 minutes and scored 28 points of their own to lead 28-0.
Pearl River poured it on a bit more in the second quarter to increase its lead to 46-8 at the midway point of the night. PRCC outscored the Dolphins 10-6 in the third quarter to carry a 56-14 advantage into the final 10 minutes of the night. In the fourth, the Wildcats closed things out with a 12-4 showing to secure a 68-18 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
Hama'ya Fielder (Philadelphia; Neshoba Central) led PRCC in points with 11. Samya Brooks (Pontotoc) and Taylor Johnson-Matthews (Cleveland, Ohio; Charles F. Brush) were second on the team with 10 points each.
Brooklyn Anderson (Greeneville, Tenn.; North Greene) led the rebounding efforts with a game-high 13. Brooks trailed her with nine.
"I was proud of Samya for having 10 points and nine rebounds. Brooklyn had seven points and 13 rebounds," Fletcher said. "I thought they did a phenomenal job controlling the glass and rebounding the basketball."
NEXT UP
Pearl River returns to Marvin R. White Coliseum on Saturday for a 2 p.m. showdown with Coastal Alabama North.
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.
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