POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Just when it looked like the Pearl River women's basketball team was running out of answers against Coahoma, a switch flipped in the second half.
The Wildcats erased a 12-point halftime deficit and stormed past the Tigers for a 17-point, 70-53, win in the Region 23 Quarterfinals.
Pearl River will now host rival Gulf Coast Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Region 23 Semifinals.
"We didn't play well in the first half. We got the shots we wanted but just couldn't make them," head coach Shanae Govan-Williams said. "I told the girls to take a deep breath and that we were okay. We had to be gritty, and we had 20 minutes to step up.
"Coahoma had a lot of shots where our rotation was off or we were a step late. We knew that was something we could fix, so we challenged the girls to change the game on the defensive end."
Pearl River (21-5) opened the afternoon on a 10-2 run against Coahoma (17-9). Chauncey Dixon (Leroy, Ala.; McIntosh) got the Wildcats on the board by backing her way into the paint for a layup, and Jae'la Smith (Vicksburg; Porter's Chapel) followed with a driving layup after a Cy'Nara Robinson (McGehee, Ark.) steal.
After Coahoma picked up its first basket, Smith converted an and-one and Jahanna Wilson drilled a 3-pointer from straight away to make it 10-2. The Tigers responded with a run of their own to pull within three, 12-9, at the end of the first quarter.
The Wildcats hit a cold spell in the second quarter, shooting just 3-for-24 from the field. Coahoma moved in front 16-15 before Robinson answered with a layup to put PRCC back ahead. The Tigers then went on a 12-point run before Mattison Bell (Philadelphia; Choctaw Central) stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to 28-20. Pearl River went into the half trailing 32-20.
The third quarter belonged entirely to the Wildcats.
PRCC opened the half with a stunning 20-1 run to flip the game. Bell started the surge with a mid-range jumper, Robinson knocked down four free throws and Dixon finished an over-the-top inbound pass with a bucket in the paint to make it 33-28.
Smith added two free throws before Robinson came up with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup. On the next possession, Robinson dished to Toniah Watts (Terry) inside for a floater. Watts missed the and-one opportunity, but Smith grabbed the loose ball and finished through contact, converting the free throw to make it 37-33.
Robinson capped the game-changing run with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to put Pearl River ahead 40-33.
The Wildcats weren't finished. Pearl River outscored Coahoma 35-7 in the third quarter to take a commanding 55-39 lead into the final period.
When the fourth quarter began, Madison Hughes (Olive Branch; Center Hill) caught fire, scoring nine of the Wildcats' first 10 points to push PRCC ahead 65-45. Pearl River closed things out soon after, winning the contest 70-53.
LEADING THE WAY
Smith posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Robinson filled the stat sheet with 13 points, five rebounds, five steals, three blocks and two assists.
Bell added 11 points and seven rebounds, while Hughes finished with 11 points and five boards. Dixon pulled down 10 rebounds.
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).