CLINTON, Miss. — The No. 23 Pearl River women’s basketball team came up short Sunday inside A.E. Wood Coliseum at Mississippi College, falling to Jones College 59-51 in the Region 23 Championship game.

The Wildcats finish their 2022-23 campaign with a phenomenal 24-3 record. It marks the second straight year the Wildcats have had a 20-win season.

FIRST HALF

Jones College (25-3 overall) controlled the opening tip before the Pearl River (24-3) defense forced a turnover. PRCC went down on the offensive side and Halle Traylor (Tupelo) struck from 3-point range. The sophomore guard caught a pass from Ty’Mesha Reed (Meridian), quickly surveyed the field and heaved up from deep for the basket. Traylor hit from beyond the arc again a few minutes later, this time from the right wing, extending the early lead to 6-0.

The Bobcats stormed back to take a 12-8 lead by the time the first quarter had ended.

With the exception of a Hama’ya Fielder (Philadelphia; Neshoba Central) catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, the first four minutes, 44 seconds of the second quarter was all Bobcats as they built out a 14-point, 25-11 lead.

PRCC pulled within six points, 29-23, late in the second after Marcavia Shavers (Biloxi) swatted a shot attempt out of the air, which turned into some offense. JC knocked down a jumper in the final minute of the quarter to send the Bobcats into the break ahead, 31-23.

SECOND HALF

Jones College grabbed the first basket of the second half before PRCC embarked on a 7-0 run that was powered by Reed. She first knocked down a pull-up jumper before grabbing a defensive rebound and going coast-to-coast for a layup. Her final basket of the run was when she dribbled inside and slashed home a fadeaway, 35-30.

The Bobcats added on 10 more points down the stretch to head into the final quarter of the night with a 45-31 advantage.

Alexis Arrington (Terry) grabbed the first basket of the final quarter of the play, slashing inside for a layup, 45-33, but the Bobcats responded immediately to move in front 53-46.

J’Mani Ingram (North Augusta, S.C.) added a couple of baskets for the Wildcats down the stretch but it wasn’t enough as they fell, 59-51.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Ingram finished with a team-high 11 points. She also hauled in six rebounds. Shavers finished with nine points and 13 rebounds. Reed collected eight points and four assists. Simon tacked on 12 rebounds.

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