No. 20 Pearl River routs Baton Rouge after slow start

BATON ROUGE, La. — It was not a perfect night, but the No. 20 Pearl River men's basketball team is now 7-0 after soundly defeating Baton Rouge Community College 86-69 Tuesday night.

PRCC had to overcome a slow start in the first half to roar back and take a commanding lead midway through the second frame.

Coach Chris Oney wasn't pleased with his team's slow start but thought the Wildcats bounced back in a big way.

"They posed a problem for us because they spread our guys out over the floor but our guys fought through it," Oney said. "I was hoping I got all that turkey and dressing out of them after Thanksgiving but it took 20 more minutes then I was hoping."

The Wildcats (7-0) fell behind early 13-5 to Baton Rouge (1-6), turning the ball over and not matching the Bears' efficiency on the offensive side of the ball.

It wasn't until late in the first half that Pearl River started to regain its dynamic play on offense. By halftime the Wildcats held a narrow 38-37 advantage. The Wildcats looked like themselves again in the second half, cutting through the Bear defense and spreading the ball around to secure plenty of buckets.

As time went on, PRCC extended its lead with stellar play on the offensive side and great hustle on the defensive side of the ball to finish out the 86-69 win.

Pearl River's Jonas James III (pictured) scored 16 points and had nine assists Tuesday night when the Wildcats defeated Baton Rouge Community College 86-69. (KRISTI HARRIS/PRCC ATHLETICS)

GETTING BUCKETS

Tuesday night showed once again that when it comes to scoring the Wildcats are hard to contain.

To Oney's delight, the Wildcats scored and scored in bunches.

Jonas James III (Jackson; Murrah) had a huge night scoring 16 points while continuing to slice up opposing defenses with his passing with nine assists.

"He's ultra quick, we just have to get him to put out for all the games, not just the big ones," Oney said.

Cedric Brim Jr. (Tupelo; Shannon) and Brandon Rachal (Natchitoches, La.; Natchitoches Central) were not far behind, scoring 13 points each.

Big man Chris Agbo (Jos, Nigeria) scored 13 points while also securing seven boards on the night.

Jerrez Porter (Jackson; Clinton) had a great game with eight points and 10 rebounds.

"Jerrez and I had a little meeting before the break and I told him I'm not going to play you if you don't rebound," Oney said. "He's really coming along. He wants to play."

NEXT UP

The Wildcats return home Thursday when they take on Bishop State Community College at 4 p.m. at Marvin R. White Coliseum.

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).