The Blue Devils came back from the holiday break on the attack as they defeated Greene County 61-38 on Jan. 3.

Pearl River Central was riding a three game winning streak heading into the game and used the momentum to comfortably beat the Wildcats.

Caden Thompson, Tyaon Terrell and Trevor Stromeyer were all dangerous from deep, while the team also used its speed to attack on the fast break.

The offensive output was efficient for the Blue Devils, but Head Coach Scott Stephens said it was the performance on the other end of the court that impressed him.

“I thought that we defended really well that night and rebounded pretty well also,” Stephens said.

PRC did a good job of avoiding foul trouble while forcing the Wildcats to turn the ball over multiple times.

The team also drew multiple charges against Greene County, a play where a defender sets his feet and an opponent runs into him.

When a player draws a charge, a foul is assessed against the offensive player, the foul is added to the opponent’s team total and the ball is turned over to the opposite team.

Stephens said there aren’t many other plays in basketball that can impact the game in so many ways, so he was happy with his team’s ability to draw the charges against the Wildcats.

“I tell them it’s one of the greatest plays you can make. That’s something we preach every day. Our approach and how important we make it really helps the kids out,” Stephens said.

The Blue Devils also showed off their depth against Greene County as Stephens went 10 deep into his bench, rotating players out frequently.

Not only does this allow the athletes to remain fresh for the entirety of the game, but it also gives younger players the opportunity to get more time on the court.

Those game experiences can help the athletes in the long haul and give Stephens more options as the all important district games approach.

“We’ve tried to do it more consistently here of late. It’s not something we’re able to do every night, but I’d say half of our games have allowed us to play that many kids,” Stephens said.

The Blue Devils will take on the Lumberton Panthers Jan. 7 before a district showdown against the Picayune Maroon Tide.

The game against Lumberton might not have the pressure or weight of a district match up, but Stephens said it’ll provide his athletes another chance to improve on the court before taking on a district foe.

The ‘tune up Tuesday’ designation the program has placed on games like the one against Lumberton shows that no matter the opponent, the Blue Devils intend to come out in full force. “It’s not a night off, it’s an opportunity to get better. It’s all about how you view it. We’ve tried to build it into our weekly routine and it’s just another piece of the puzzle,” Stephens said. The match up against Lumberton was set to start at 7:30 p.m.