Pearl River CC splits pair of league games with Southwest

Published 8:51 pm Friday, January 17, 2014

SUMMIT — The Pearl River Coummunity College Women’s basketball team is hot.

The Men’s team is not.

Pearl River Community College split with Southwest Mississippi in women’s and men’s MACJC South Division basketball action here Thursday with the Lady Wildcats taking a 73-72 overtime victory, while the Wildcats dropped their third straight with a 73-69 setback.

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PRCC’s women improved to 7-1 overall and remain undefeated at 4-0 in division play, while its men dropped to 9-3 and 2-2. It was the third straight loss for the Wildcats.

SMCC’s women are 11-2 and 3-1, while its men are 7-6 and 1-3.

In the women’s game, The River led 39-38 at the intermission.

But Southwest rebounded with a 37-36 effort in the second half to tie it up and send things into overtime. PRCC outscored SMCC 12-11 in the OT period to take the one-point victory.

Essence Pulliam out of Forest Hill High in Jackson paced the Lady ’Cats with 20 points and a team-high 15 rebounds, while Deandra Darjean, a Prairie View A&M transfer who prepped at Yates High in Houston, Tex., scored a season-high 19 and grabbed 11 boards. Shanta’ Echols of Sumrall High added 11, Kaci Sisson of Quitman High (two treys) and Kalisha Washington out of Murrah High in Jackson, seven each, Tiana Dampeer of Lawrence County High four, Taylor Brister, an East Central CC transfer who prepped at Prentiss High, three, and Vamikka Smith out of Murphy High in Mobile, Ala., two (seven rebounds).

Katrina Littlepage led the Lady Bears with 20, while April Levy scored 16, Tee Myers 13, Madison Mault 10, Talisa Sherman five..

In the men’s game, Southwest outscored Pearl River 44-34 in the first half, but the Wildcats bounced back with a 35-29 advantage in the second half only to fall five points shy of victory.

Kaven Bernard out of Assumption High in Napoleonville, La., led PRCC with 14 points (seven rebounds), while Bryant McGee of West Marion High scored 11 (10 rebounds), Louisiana-Monroe signee Rakeem Esco of Canton High 10 (two treys), Lester Crosby of Franklinton (La.) High eight, Joshua Johnson out of Carroll High in Monroe, La., seven, Quintarius Porter out of Forest Hill High in Jackson six (five rebounds), Southeastern Louisiana signee DeAngelo Coleman of South Pike High four, Irishma Bowie of Morton High and Troy State signee Jeremy Hollimon of Gulfport High, three each and Sullivan Bell of Picayune High and Devontai Foye of Hattiesburg High, two each.

Twymond Howard paced SMCC with a game-high 18 points, while Chris Jones added 16, Jaylen Moore 11, Deione Weeks and Corey Williams, 10 each, Jamal Hester five, and Xavion Dillon three.

Pearl River and Southwest Miss. eye South Division women’s and men’s rematches Monday, Feb. 10, in Poplarville.

PRCC returns to the hard court Tuesday when it hits the road for Meridian CC in Meridian for South Division contests at 5:30 p.m. (women) and 7:30 p.m. (men) before hosting division rival Jones County Thursday, Jan. 23, in Shivers Gymnasium with games at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men).