Box Score CLINTON – Northwest led by a game-high 12 with 7:53 to play before Pearl River closed the game on a major run thanks to 20 free throws in the final 6 minutes to steal an 84-77 win in the NJCAA Region 23 Semifinals Friday night at Mississippi College's A.E. Wood Coliseum.
Northwest's season comes to a close at 13-11 overall while Pearl River improved to 18-7 and advances to Saturday night's championship game against Jones County at 8 p.m.
Pearl River lived at the free throw line for much of the game and especially the final 7 minutes of the second half, connecting on 29-of-38 (21-for-24 2H) against 11-of-21 for the Rangers.
Northwest trailed for most of the first half before going on an 18-9 run to take a 34-33 lead at the break.
PRCC shot a blistering 75 percent in the first against 41 percent for Northwest, and was led by 18 points by Kaven Bernard on 7 of 8 shooting.
De'Sean Dockery had 11 at the half to lead the Rangers.
Tristan Moore and
Dajon Reno hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second half to give Northwest a 40-33 lead, one that would stand for nearly 15 minutes.
But PRCC mounted a rally when the Ranger lead grew to 65-53 and went on a 13-0 run to pull ahead 66-65. The run was aided by free throw after free throw. Eighteen of the Wildcats' final 22 points came at the charity stripe.
The frustration clearly set in for head coach
Bubba Skelton in the final minutes with the disparity in calls and he was hit with a technical foul that helped PRCC score a four-point swing in one possession to go ahead 73-69 with 2:23 to play.
Northwest would get no closer than four the rest of the way as PRCC closed out an 84-77 win by outscoring the Rangers 31-12 the final 7:53.
Four Rangers finished in double figures, led by Dockery with 19,
Courtney Shannon with 14, Reno with 13 and Moore with 10 points and eight assists.
Bernard led the Wildcats with 29 points and 10 rebounds in addition to 23 from Deangelo Coleman and 14 from Jeremy Hollimon.
PRCC outshot Northwest 65 to 49 percent for the game.
