Pearl River cruises on Kids Day, defeats South Arkansas

Dylan Dunaway - PRCC Sports Information Director

POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Pearl River men's basketball team moved to 2-0 on the season Monday afternoon, defeating South Arkansas 81-63 in the second annual Kids Day Game inside Marvin R. White Coliseum.

"There were some nerves today," head coach Chris Oney said. "It was the first time we had a crowd and the band in the gym. There was a lot more noise, but once we got it figured out, we played well.

"We're not playing with a traditional point guard, but we've got three guys who can initiate the offense. That way, everyone can hit you in a different area, and that makes us even tougher to defend."

Oney also reflected on another successful Kids Day event.

"That was another awesome experience," he said. "The South Arkansas coaching staff had a great time and said they wanted to be here every year for this. I know the kids had a lot of fun, but so did our guys."

Lazarus Mason (Atlanta, Ga.; Grayson) drills a 3-pointer with a South Arkansas defender nearby. (Karisa Watkins/PRCC Athletics)

GAME RECAP

Pearl River (2-0 overall) caught fire early against South Arkansas (0-1), jumping out to an 11-4 advantage powered by a catch-and-shoot corner three-pointer from Devonta Thompson (Bogue Chitto). Christian Gilliland (Memphis, Tenn.; ABC Prep) followed with a strong drive and finish through contact to make it 13-7.

The Wildcats continued to heat up from there, extending the lead to 17 points at the 2:17 mark in the opening half, 35-18. When the halftime buzzer sounded, PRCC held a 35-22 advantage.

Pearl River picked up right where it left off to open the second half. Reece Garrison (Olive Branch) grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to make it 37-25. Moments later, the Wildcats broke the game open, pushing the lead to 28 points with 14:13 remaining. During the run, Gilliland powered through a defender for a basket, knocked down a jumper, and Kelan Rich (Pascagoula) added a 3-pointer to make it 57-29.

A highlight-reel play came around the 10-minute mark when Rich stripped the ball from a defender, sprinted down the court, and fired a behind-the-back pass to James Griffin (Hattiesburg) for a two-handed slam that pushed the lead to 64-36.

Daijon Leatherman (Slidell, La.; Legacy School of Sport and Sciences) dominated the offensive boards down the stretch, creating second-chance opportunities for himself and his teammates. He scored a putback to make it 69-41 before assisting Gilliland on another two-handed dunk to stretch the lead to 73-46.

Kemauri Oscar (Canton; Northwest Rankin) added one final highlight, pulling down an offensive rebound and scoring before racing back on defense to swat a layup attempt off the backboard, making it 76-51. The Wildcats went on to close out the game, 81-63.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Gilliland led the Wildcats with 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting and added five assists. Javion Mason followed with 15 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals.

Leatherman recorded a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double, adding two steals and two blocks.

"It's hard to keep it a secret that we're a different team when DJ's on the floor," Oney said. "When he got going, it made us really good."

Rich turned in another all-around performance, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

NEXT UP

The Wildcats return to action Friday for the All-State Invitational sponsored by the Pigott Agency, matching up with Coastal Alabama–South at 7 p.m.

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