Lady Wildcats get defensive to earn fourth straight win
POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River women kept the good vibes alive Thursday with a commanding 57-41 victory over visiting Southwest at Marvin R. White Coliseum.
The victory marks PRCC’s fourth straight.
Pearl River entered the contest with the top scoring defense in the MACJC, smothering opponents to the tune of just 55 points per game. The defense once again got the job done Thursday, holding the Lady Bears (6-9 overall, 1-5 MACJC) to a season-low 41 points — 10 points below their previous mark.
“I’m just so proud,” PRCC coach Scotty Fletcher said. “That’s a tough team to play. They have some playmakers. We were disruptive and created some havoc defensively.”
GETTING OFFENSIVE
The Lady Wildcats (11-4, 4-2) were more than a one-dimensional team Thursday. While freshman guard Mychala “Pooh” Linzy (Clinton) continued her hot streak with 15 points, redshirt sophomore Elexis Peyton (Jackson; Provine) propelled PRCC to victory by tying her season-high with 18 points.
Peyton (pictured) also pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds, giving her a fourth double-double on the year.
“You’re going to get me emotional — that kid means more to me than my left foot,” Fletcher said of Peyton. “She’s a coach’s dream. She came back for nights like tonight. That’s what Elexis Peyton is. I knew she could do this all along. That’s my version of Elexis Peyton. We don’t win that game unless she has 18 and 13."
Linzy continued to dine out from long-range, knocking down all four of her 3-point attempts.
“Pooh is a product of her hard work,” Fletcher said. “She lives in the gym and has continued to grow up from Day 1.”
FAST START
Peyton opened the game by getting a block on the defensive end and then cashed in on a put-back on the other end. Linzy scored a 3-pointer on the Lady Wildcats’ next possession and the home team never looked back. PRCC held a 15-11 lead after one quarter. Linzy bookended the second quarter with 3-pointers to boost PRCC’s lead to 30-17 at halftime.
Fletcher’s crew didn’t slow in the second half, building a 44-28 advantage after three before closing out the win in the fourth.
LEADING THE WAY
Gabby Brown (Fort Walton Beach, Fla; Choctaw) was third on PRCC with six points. Chameria Washington (Meridian), Linzy, Jakia Harper (Jackson; Provine) and Alanna Smith (Picayune) all had two assists. Dywana Parker (Gulfport) was second on PRCC with five rebounds.
“I’m lucky to just stand on the sideline with some unbelievable kids,” Fletcher said. “Just their energy and effort every night is top-notch. I’ve said it from Day 1, this group is special to coach.
“Very, very, very proud of our girls and the growth they continue to make. They come in here with an underdog mentality, and we are the underdog. We’re going to keep that mentality, continue to work and hopefully we’re going to make our Wildcat family proud.”
BACK ON THE ROAD
The PRCC women return to the court Monday with a road trip to Meridian. They won’t return home until a Feb. 4 tilt against East Central.
All MACJC games are broadcast on WRJW 1320 AM and WRJWRadio.com. Home games are also streamed on PRCCAthletics.com.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
