Published: January 02, 2009 02:46 pm      

PRC back on court

By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

CARRIERE — Both Pearl River Central basketball teams waste no time in getting back to business in this new year, as each renew Division 8-4A action tonight on the road at Long Beach.

The Blue Devils stand 6-8 overall, but are 2-1 in league play and currently sit tied for third in the league standings.

PRC, in its first year under head coach Austin Alexander, is coming off a 1-2 showing in the three day Millls Valley Shootout in Fort Payne, Ala.

The Lady Devils are looking to get back on track and find their first league win of the season, as they stand at 4-10 overall and 0-3 in the division. The PRC girls have lost seven of their last eight games since beating Picayune in the consolation game of the county tourney in mid-November.

The Lady Devile, under the guidance of first year head coach Kevin Harris, also posted a 1-2 mark in the three day tourney in north Alabama.

The woes continued fro PRC earlier in the week, as they dropped a pair of games in the West Jones Classic on Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday, Wayne County beat PRC 63-38 as the Lady War Eagles overcame an early PRC lead to head into halftime with a 24-21 advantage.

With :12 remaining in the third quarter, Lauren Douglas hit a 3-pointer to send the Lady War Eagles on a 14-0 run, and widen the lead with a third quarter score of 45-37.

Wayne County didn’t look back from that point as they outscored the Lady Blue Devils 28-1 in the final period of the game giving them the victory.

Lauren Douglas led the way for the Lady War Eagles with 11, while Brianna Lancaster added 10. For the Lady Blue Devils, Kayla Drummond had a game-high 18, and Amberley Banks finished with 10.

On Tuesday night, the host team West Jones stopped PRC 75-57.

PRC started strong again, as the Lady Blue Devils came out quick with some super free throw shooting of the senior Drummond when she went 8 for 10 from the charity stripe to give PRC a 18-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Pearl River Central kept it close the rest of the half with sharp free throw shooting going into the half with a 35-33 edge over the Lady Mustangs.

With 5:42 left to play in the third quarter, Anna Sumrall hit a jumper from the baseline to send West Jones on a 12-0 run with a score of 45-35, and PRC never recovered.

Murphy Matthews led WJHS with 18, while. Drummond led all players with 21, while Banks finished with 13.