POPLARVILLE, Miss. - Pearl River women's basketball fell 71-70 in an overtime thriller on the road against Northwest. The loss was PRCC's first of MACCC action.
"I'm proud of my team," head coach Shanae Govan-Williams said. "I don't regret anything. I think they all laid it all out on the floor. It's all you can ask for as a coach.
"Everybody stepped up tonight. We knew we had a target on our backs and that this would be a tough game. They are a really good team, well-coached. Every game is going to be hard. We're going to continue to get everyone's best out there. I'm just proud of our effort."
Pearl River (13-5; 6-1 MACCC) opened the first quarter on a 7-0 run, capped by a Chauncey Dixon (Leroy, Ala.; McIntosh) layup off an assist from Jae'la Smith (Vicksburg; Porter's Chapel). The Wildcats continued to control the pace, building the lead to 19-4 before Northwest (12-6; 4-1) began to respond. The Rangers closed the gap late in the quarter, but Pearl River still held a 23-13 advantage at the end of the first.
Northwest applied pressure in the second quarter, disrupting the Wildcat offense and chipping away at the deficit. The Rangers' effort paid off, as they cut the lead to 29-24 by halftime.
The Rangers carried that momentum into the second half, opening the third quarter by taking their first lead of the game. Northwest pushed ahead by five, 37-32, midway through the period. Cy'Nara Robinson (McGehee, Ark.) knocked down two free throws to trim the deficit to three, and Madison Hughes (Olive Branch; Center Hill) followed with a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game. With the score knotted at 37-37, both teams traded baskets until Robinson drained a three to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at 43.
Northwest struck first in the final period, surging to a 51-43 lead. The Rangers extended their advantage to 55-46, but the Wildcats refused to fold. Wilson and Smith combined for 10 points down the stretch, pulling Pearl River within one at 57-56. Northwest answered with a free throw, leaving the Wildcats trailing by two with 25 seconds remaining.
After a timeout drawn up by Govan-Williams, Pearl River had multiple chances to tie the game. The Wildcats missed twice before Robinson finished a game-tying layup to force overtime.
Wilson opened overtime by scoring the first five points, giving Pearl River a 63-58 lead. Northwest responded once again, briefly reclaiming the lead at 64-63. Smith delivered a clutch 3-pointer, but the Rangers continued to answer. Wilson put the Wildcats ahead with seven seconds remaining, and Pearl River came up with a key defensive stop before a foul sent Northwest to the free-throw line. The Rangers converted both attempts, escaping with a narrow 71-70 victory.
LEADING THE WAY
Robinson had her best game as a Wildcat, scoring 21 points and earning the double-double with 16 rebounds. Behind her was Wilson, who also hit the 20-point mark, scoring exactly 20 with two rebounds and four steals.
Another Wildcat earned a double-double as Smith scored 11 points and brought in 10 rebounds. The last double-digit scorer of the night was Hughes, who scored 10 points and brought in four rebounds.
NEXT UP
Pearl River heads back home to host Copiah-Lincoln at 5:30 on Monday.
TICKETS
Tickets are available at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets. Tickets purchased in advance are $9 while tickets purchased on game day are $11.
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.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).