POPLARVILLE, Miss. — An early run was just what the No. 12 Pearl River women's basketball team needed Saturday afternoon. After jumping ahead 15-2 in the first five minutes, Pearl River used the momentum to earn an 81-37 victory.
"I think we have to be cleaner in some areas," head coach Scotty Fletcher said. "We were so good on defense at Delgado. As weird as this may sound, our offensive flow isn't looking as sharp as I want it to look. We had some miscues, and our focus needs to be sharper and more detailed. We have to continue to grind.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Things couldn't have gone much better for Pearl River (12-2 overall) in the first five minutes of action as the Wildcats opened up the game on an impressive 15-2 run. The run began with Leah Wilcher (Brookhaven) grabbing her own miss and putting the ball right back up and through the hoop.
Coastal Alabama North (11-9) matched the basket moments later, but the Wildcats really began to lock in. Following a quick Mikayla Riley (Tupelo) basket, Alexis Arrington (Terry) drove into the lane, laid a ball up through a hard-contact foul and converted the and-one opportunity, 9-2. A few plays later, Taylor Johnson-Matthews (Cleveland, Ohio; Charles F. Brush) capped off the big run by pulling up from the free-throw line and nailing her shot attempt.
In the final five minutes of the quarter, PRCC extended its lead to 20-6 with the help of a 2-for-2 trip to the charity stripe for Avery Young (Iota, La.) and a Johnson-Matthews driving layup.
Samya Brooks (Pontotoc) grabbed the first points of the second quarter for the Wildcats after a perfect showing at the free-throw line. On the very next possession, Hama'ya Fielder (Philadelphia; Neshoba Central) found herself in a wide-open position at the top of the arc. Riley lasered a pass over to Fielder, and her shot hit nothing but net for a 3-pointer, 25-6.
Brooklyn Anderson (Greeneville, Tenn.; North Greene) extended her normal range late in the half, catching a feed from Fielder and nailing a mid-range jumper, 31-10. PRCC added one more basket before the quarter ended as Marley Freeman (Brandon) cleaned the glass for a board and threw a dime the length of the floor to Anderson for an easy layup. PRCC headed into halftime ahead 34-13.
The Wildcats were leading 42-16 halfway through the third quarter before Young got hot from beyond the arc. She first received a pass on the left wing and buried her 3-point attempt. After a Coyote basket, Young caught a pass in the corner from Johnson-Matthews and sliced home another 3-pointer, 48-18.
Pearl River continued to add on to the lead throughout the remaining portion of the quarter — thanks in part to five points from Riley — and headed into the fourth ahead 58-24.
Young's takeover carried into the early going of the fourth quarter as she went 2-for-2 on free throws and nailed a floater soon after to extend the lead to 64-28.
Janiah Caples (Vicksburg) and Audria Houston (Oxford; Tupelo) got involved late in the quarter. Caples drove down the court and inside the paint for an easy layup. Houston drove straight to the basket from the corner, banked a shot off the glass, and in, 76-31. Tiir Nyok (High Point, N.C.; Southwest Guilford) joined in with a 3-pointer late in the game, and Pearl River walked away with an 81-37 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
Pearl River placed four players in double figures, led by Riley's 15 points.
"If you look back to where she was in the summer to where she is now — she's grown immensely," Fletcher said. "She's a basketball player. She can handle it, post you up, shoot it. She's got a really bright future."
Young was second on the team with 14 points.
"As soon as we got back from Delgado, Avery came right in and went to work," Fletcher said. "When you're committed to the game and getting that extra work, the game pays you back. I'm proud of her. She got out of the shooting slump."
Johnson-Matthews finished with 11 points and Anderson ended her day with 10 points.
"I'm so proud of Brooklyn and the growth she's made since her first day on campus," Fletcher said. "She's got a bright future with us."
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return to the court on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff against Delgado.
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).