IT’S OVER: Pearl River Central’s Brandi Lee and her Lady Devil team saw their season come to an end on Monday night.
Photo courtesy of The Hattiesburg American

JACKSON — Last year, for the first time in school history, both the boys and girls basketball teams from Pearl River Central High School qualified for the Class 5A state playoffs in the same season.

This year, however, history won’t repeat itself.

Both the Blue Devils and the Lady Devils saw their seasons come to an end Monday night here at Wingfield High School in the opening round of the Region 6-5A Tournament, with Natchez beating the Lady Devils 48-23 and Brookhaven beating the Blue Devils 63-56.

Both PRC teams were winless all year long in district action, and both were the fourth seeds for the tournament.

The Lady Devils finish a disappointing 6-22 on the season under first year head coach Tony LaBella.

Brandi Lee and Tyionia Bolar each scored seven points apiece to lead the Lady Devils. In her final game at PRC, senior Dandy Dozen 6-foot-5 senior center Jessica Powers scored just four points. She was the only senior on the Lady Devils team this season.

The Blue Devils fought hard against the top-seeded Panthers, trailing by just two points in the fourth quarter before Brookhaven pulled out the win.

Seth McCoy tallied 16 points to pace a quartet of PRC players in double digits. Terek Whitehead chipped in 12 points, Donte Stephens added 11 points and Alex Travis added 10 points for the Blue Devils.

The PRC boys finish the year at 8-20 under first year head coach Matt Noblitt.

In the final regular season games for all four teams, Picayune swept PRC in Carriere Friday night.

In the boy’s game, Picayune’s Shemar Williams out-scored the Blue Devils by himself, pouring in 38 points in the Maroon Tide’s 66-34 win.

The game was actually tied at 7-7 early, before Picayune went on a 13-0 run to end the first frame with a 20-7 advantage.

Things just got worse for the Blue Devils, as Williams nailed a 3-pointer mid-way through the second stanza to put Picayune up 32-12.

Williams, who finished with 28 points in the first half, tallied another long trey at the halftime buzzer that gave the Maroon Tide a 41-15 lead at intermission.

Picayune led by as much as 40 points in the second half, at 60-20, before coasting to the final margin of victory.

Donovan Rice finished with 11 points and Hakeem Magee added nine points to the winning cause. The Maroon Tide stands 15-12, entering tonight’s Region 7-5A Tournament opener against Stone County.

“I feel like if we carry this type of intensity into the tournament we will be in good shape,” Picayune second year head coach Scott Stephens said. “Shemar has been our backbone, our staple all year long. I was very proud of our effort.”

Seth McCoy scored 13 points to pace PRC.

The Lady Tide won a 47-40 double overtime thriller over the Lady Devils.

PRC’s Kim Gutierrez hit a jump shot with eight seconds to play in regulation to send the game into the first overtime.

Picayune sophomore standout Maya Whitehead hit a short jump shot as well as sinking three free throws in the final minute of the second extra session to seal the decision for the Lady Tide.

Brandy Magee tallied a game high 15 points to pace Picayune, while Whitehead finished with 12 points and Jada Simmons added 11 points to the winning effort.

For PRC, Destiny Malley recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandi Lee scored eight points and had a game high 11 boards.

The Lady Tide faces Stone County today at 4 p.m., to open the Region 7-5A Tournament.