POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 10 Pearl River women's basketball team set the tone early Thursday night inside Marvin R. White Coliseum and used the momentum created to dominate Delgado 77-20.

"I really thought that our opening play tonight set the tone with (Mikayla) Riley getting the and-one," head coach Scotty Fletcher said. "We executed really well to start the game. Anytime you can execute early, it sets a tone, and that's contagious on the bench. Everyone who came in impacted the game."

GAME RECAP
In nearly identical fashion to the last time Pearl River (13-2 overall) and Delgado (3-12) squared off, the Wildcats were nothing short of dominant in the first quarter. In the first six minutes, Pearl River led 10-0, thanks in part to a Mikayla Riley (Tupelo) old-fashioned 3-pointer and a 3-pointer from the top of the arc by Hama'ya Fielder (Philadelphia; Neshoba Central). 

Brooklyn Anderson (Greeneville, Tenn.; North Greene) took over midway through the quarter and was electric, scoring nine consecutive points to extend the lead to 23-4. Before the quarter ended, Taylor Johnson-Matthews (Cleveland, Ohio; Charles F. Brush) knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer and Avery Young (Iota, La.) had a perfect trip to the free-throw line to set the scoreline at 28-4.

Early in the second, Fielder's defense created offense for the Wildcats. A ball was loose and rolling on the floor before Fielder dove on top of it. She slung a pass from her back to Young for a driving layup, 30-4. 

Anderson picked up where she left off in the first quarter late in the second, receiving a pass down low, backing her way into the lane and knocking down a layup. On the next possession, Marley Freeman (Brandon) tracked down a ball and sent a pinpoint pass down the court to Audria Houston (Oxford; Tupelo) for a score, 43-6. PRCC eventually carried a 48-6 advantage into the halftime break.

Tiir Nyok (High Point, N.C.; Southwest Guilford) made it happen for Pearl River early in the third. She first prevented a ball from going out of bounds and found Brooks down low for an easy layup. A play later, she caught a pass just inside the 3-point line and knocked down a jumper, 52-6.

Janiah Caples (Vicksburg) joined in on the scoring with 4:43 remaining, grabbing an offensive board and putting it right back up for the score, 58-12. PRCC added two more points in the quarter on a perfect trip to the line for Anderson, 61-17.

The Wildcats were a bit slower to begin the fourth quarter, but by the time the five-minute mark hit, they led 70-17 and went on to defeat the Dolphins 77-20. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Anderson had an unreal night for the Wildcats in the post. She finished the game with a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double. Both numbers were a team-high.

"I got very emotional watching her during the first half," Fletcher said. "She's got a remarkable story and that's what makes Pearl River so special. She's all ten toes in and does everything right. She's a phenomenal teammate. It's been really neat to watch her. Brooklyn is a winner and she continues to show growth."

Young was second on the team with 11 points. She also assisted on four baskets. Brooks was the final Wildcat in double-digits with 10 points.

Nyok finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

NEXT UP
Pearl River begins MACCC play on Monday against Coahoma. Tipoff inside Marvin R. White Coliseum is set for 5:30 p.m.

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).