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Pearl River remains undefeated in MACCC play

Richard Gleber - PRCC Athletics


MERIDIAN, Miss. – Nine Wildcats scored in the Pearl River men's basketball team's 73-49 win over Meridian in the Graham Gymnasium on the Meridian campus on Monday.


Pearl River (16-3 overall; 5-0 MACCC) jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead in the first five minutes of the opening half over the home standing Meridian Eagles (8-12 overall; 1-4 MACCC). Krystian Lewis (Monroe, La.; Wossman) opened the scoring for The River after Jamarion Smith (Magnolia; South Pike) pulled down a rebound and passed to Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo.). Sanders found Lewis, who fed Joah Chappelle (Atlanta, Ga.; Dutchtown); Chappelle returned the ball to Lewis, who hit an open 3-pointer, 3-0. Chappelle took control of the game, scoring six of the Wildcats next nine points. Chappelle capped the run, scoring on a layup after creating a Meridian turnover in the Eagle backcourt, 12-2.


"I thought we came out with great energy and purpose. I thought our scouting report and personnel was the best we had all year," PRCC head coach Chris Oney said. "We got a little tired; it was our third game in five days. We were able to bring guys in off the bench that really helped propel us. They did not come in and help us sustain the lead; they helped us build the lead."


Smith added to the Wildcat lead after Chappelle drove through the lane and hit Smith with a nice pass for an uncontested shot in the low post, 14-2. With the Wildcats leading 16-4, Smith was able to tap a loose ball to Kedrick Osby (Moss Point), who drove to the basket to extend the Wildcat's lead to 18-4. Zahir Gutierrez (Olive Branch) extended Pearl River's lead to 17 points with a long 3-pointer from the wing, 21-4.


Gutierrez moved from scorer to distributor on back-to-back Wildcat possessions. Gutierrez found Smith with a nice pass in the low post for an uncontested layup. On the next possession, he hit streaking Smith with a perfect bounce pass for a layup, 27-6.


Pearl River closed out the first half with back-to-back heads-up plays. Osby floated a perfect inbound pass to Chappelle in the lane with one second on the play clock, 33-14. On the Wildcat's next possession, Sanders found an open Chappelle for an open jumper from the elbow to give Pearl River a 35-14 advantage. Meridian closed out the scoring in the half with a basket in the paint, 35-16.

The Wildcats quickly added to their lead at the beginning of the second half. Chappelle opened the half with a jumper from the elbow off an assist by Osby. Following a Smith block on the Wildcat defensive end, Osby hit a 3-pointer from the corner, 40-16.


A Meridian basket stopped the Wildcat's six-point run, 40-18, and the Eagle's defense held on to the ensuing Wildcat possession. Chappelle prevented the Eagles from building momentum by chasing down a loose ball on the Wildcat's defensive end and finding Jayden Sampson (Cleveland, Miss.; Cleveland Central) at the Meridian three-point line. Sampson found Lewis with a dart at midcourt. Lewis drove halfcourt for a layup to give the Wildcats a 42-18 lead.


With the Wildcats leading 50-33, Gutierrez found Chappelle down low in the post, and Chappelle fed Lewis on the wing for a 3-pointer, giving the Wildcats a 20-point lead, 53-33. After Meridian followed with a basket, Sanders hit a three from the corner, giving Pearl River a 56-35 advantage.


Mason Lewis (Stockbridge, Ga.; Woodland) found Stevent Watkins (Ridgeland) in the corner for a 3-pointer to bring the Wildcat lead to 20, 67-47. Mason Lewis found Issace Grady Jr. (Columbus; New Hope) under the basket in the game's final moments to close out the scoring and give Pearl River a 73-49 victory. 


LEADING THE WAY

Chappelle was the Wildcats leading scorer with 16 points. Osby scored 15, and Sanders added 11. Smith led the team in rebounds, and Gutierrez paced Pearl River with five assists.


NEXT UP

The Wildcats return home to Marvin R. White Coliseum to host Gulf Coast on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.


"It is a rivalry game; records don't matter. When you look at the schedule, it is a game you want to make sure you are ready for," Oney said. "We are going to have great energy in the gym. I think our guys will be ready to play, and they will be ready to play."


TUNE IN

All home Pearl River basketball games are livestreamed for free at PRCCMedia.com/Gold. Fans with 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 X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).

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