By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

A pair of exciting match-ups between Pearl River County rivals in Division 8-4A action kept fans on the edge of their seats Friday night at Kelly Wise Gym as Poplarville paid a visit to Picayune.

The Lady Hornets overcame a double digit deficit in the second half to pull out a 46-44 win and remain atop the league standings thanks to a basket by Demi Beason with nine seconds to play.

Policia Travis paced Poplarville with a game high 16 points, while Beason and Daquari Raine added 10 points apiece and Raine registered a double-double with 11 rebounds as well.

The win pushes the Lady Hornets to 15-4 overall and an impressive 6-1 in league play.

Janea Wills had 10 points to led Picayune, while Karly Moran added nine points and eight rebounds. The Lady Hornets held Lady Tide leading scorer Monique Brown to just seven points, as Picayune fell to 5-14 overall and 3-5 in league play and dropped its third straight game.

Picayune led 30-20 early in the third period, after holding Raine scoreless in the first half. But Poplarville reeled off a 29-10 run to take the lead for good at 39-30 early in the final period.

Then, the Maroon Tide made it a split on the evening as Vince Gable and Lloyd Hall both sank free throws in the final minute of play to secure a 69-65 comeback win for Picayune.

Picayune outscored Poplarville 21-11 in the third period, to turn a 33-29 halftime deficit into a 50-44 lead entering the final quarter.

The Tide stretched the lead to as much as a dozen in the fourth quarter, before holding on for the win.

Gable had 25 points to pace Picayune, while Hall added 21 and Derrione Stewart eight in the win. Picayune moved to 10-10 overall and 6-4 in league play with the win, and snapped a three game losing streak.

Lavelle Henry tallied 19 for Poplarville before fouling out in the final minutes. Dennis Bowden added 12 and Jalen Raine 11 for the Hornets, who dropped their fifth straight game and now stand 4-15 overall and 1-7 in league play.

Both Picayune teams travel to arch-rival Pearl River Central on Tuesday while both Poplarville teams travel to Bay High.

PRC swept

In Carriere on Friday, visiting Bay High swept a pair of games from PRC.

The Lady Tigers took a 61-44 win over the Lady Devils, despite PRC’s Kayla Drummond scoring a game high 22 points.

Bay High had three players in double digits, led by Jermi Robateau’s 12.

PRC stands 5-15 overall and 0-7 in league play, while Bay High stands 14-7 overll and 6-2 in league play and will host Poplarville in a huge league game Tuesday.

The Tigers took a 67-51 win over the Blue Devils.

Josh Nixon had a game high 21 for PRC, as the Blue Devils fell to 7-13 overall and 2-6 in league play.

Demitry Johnson paced Bay High with 14 points, ans te Tigers won their sixth straight game and moved to 13-10 overll and 7-3 in league play.

PRCC splits

POPLARVILLE — Pearl River Community College’s women’s and men’s basketball squads split with East Central here Thursday in MACJC South Division basketball action with the Lady Wildcats falling 68-57, while the Wildcats took a 71-69 nail-biting, come-from-behind victory.

PRCC’s women dropped to 1-15 overall and 1-4 in division play, while its men are now 12-5 and 3-2. ECCC’s women improved to 14-4 and 4-1, while its men are now 8-10 and 2-3.

In the men’s game, Picayune’s Randy Perkins led the Wildcats with 20 points while Donta Smith added 15 points and Kendrick Washington 12.

In the women’s game, freshman forward Courtney Lacoste of Hancock High had a phenomenal night, hitting for 19 points and hauling in 11 rebounds — both game and career highs — while Shondreka Lee of Hancock High added 14, dished off six assists, and grabbed six boards. Brittney Bentley of Hancock High (three steals) and Reneka Thompson scored eight each

Pearl River and East Central eye division rematches Monday, Feb. 16, in Decatur.

PRCC travels to South Division powerhouse Copiah-Lincoln in Wesson Monday for 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men) contest, then league arch-rival Jones County plays host Thursday, Jan. 29, in Ellisville.