No. 21 Pearl River makes quick work of Baton Rouge
Dylan Dunaway - PRCC Sports Information Director
BATON ROUGE, La. — It had been 12 days since the No. 21 Pearl River men's basketball team had been in action, but it didn't look like it had missed a beat. The Wildcats went on the road and cruised past Baton Rouge 83-54 on Thursday night.
"I thought that this was the most mature game that we've played all year," Pearl River coach Chris Oney said. "I really liked our pace on offense and even our intensity on defense. The shots that Baton Rouge was getting were mostly those that our scouting report allowed us to live with. I thought we were attentive and focused. We really played together tonight."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pearl River (7-2 overall) was putting pressure on Baton Rouge (3-7) right from the opening tip. The Wildcats began the game on an impressive 13-2 run which started with a Jamahri Hill (Bessemer, Ala.; Berkmar) 3-pointer from the right wing.
After a Cam Brown (Hattiesburg) jumper, Dylan Brumfield (Oak Grove) and Hill each picked up a layup after driving straight through the traffic to the hoop. The baskets made the score 11-2.
Brown struck again to extend the lead to 13-2 after knocking down another midrange jump shot.
BRCC got a few points back with a 3-pointer, but Preston Turner (Laurel; West Jones) was able to get on the scoresheet on the following position with a layup.
The Wildcats kept their foot on the gas throughout the quarter eventually taking a 32-18 lead after Dyllion Redmond(Columbus) received a pass and slammed a ball home. PRCC carried the momentum it had built to a 39-19 lead at the break.
Pearl River opened the second half with a basket, but Baton Rouge scored seven straight points to cut the deficit to 41-26.
The Wildcats continued to play smothering defense and turned it into offense over the course of the second half, coming away with an 83-54 victory.
LEADING THE WAY
Hill finished the night with a game-high 23 points which marked his eighth consecutive game with 10 or more points.
Jermahri Hill slams a ball home in an early season matchup against Baton Rouge. The freshman finished with 23 points in Pearl River's 83-54 road victory against the Bears. (Photo Credit: River Roderick)
"He's a guy with a lot of talent who can do a lot of different things on the court," Oney said. "At times, that can get him in trouble. Everything that he tried to do tonight came within the offense. When he did make mistakes, it didn't hurt us because people were in position."
Brown was second on the team in scoring with 16 points. Brumfield was the last Wildcat in double-digits with 12 points.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats return to the court Monday for a game against Royal Ambassadors. Tipoff inside Marvin R. White Coliseum is set for 7:30 p.m.
CASHLESS BOX OFFICE
To help improve traffic flow and fan experience, PRCC athletics box offices will be cashless in 2022-23. Only credit and debit cards will be accepted at the box office. Fans are encouraged to beat the lines and purchase their tickets in advance at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets.
TUNE IN
Pearl River livestreams all home games for free at PRCCMedia.com/gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.
Games will also be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320 AM and 106.9 FM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
