SENATOBIA - After leading by just four points at halftime, Northwest pulled away in the second half for a 97-74 victory against Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas on Thursday evening.

With the win, the Rangers moved to 3-5 overall and scored the most points in a winning contest since the 2022-23 season-opener, which resulted in a 105-67 victory against Piney Woods Post Grad. 

Five Northwest players finished in double figures in Thursday's victory, including a 27-point effort from Shavurdacour Nicholas. The sophomore from New Orleans also totaled eight rebounds and four assists, followed by 19 points from Colain Brown.

Though both teams traded jabs early in the contest, the Rangers eventually gained a 10-point advantage, as Nicholas' breakaway dunk made it a 27-17 lead with 6:26 left in the opening half. PCCUA worked the deficit down to single digits down the stretch, closing the gap to 37-33 at the halftime break.

Although the Ridge Runners opened the second half with a three-pointer from Jaiden Brunson, the Rangers gradually began to gain some breathing room over the next several minutes. A layup from Rich'ard Frazier put Northwest ahead by nine with 13:41 left, and a few minutes later, Tyler Shephard's layup made it a double-digit lead for good.

Northwest swelled its 10-point lead to 15 by the 10-minute mark of the second half, and Spears' old-fashioned three-point play made it a 20-point advantage with 8:14 left in regulation. The Rangers took their largest lead of 27 points multiple times down the stretch, putting the caps on a much-needed home win.

Richmond and Spears added 13 points apiece for Northwest, while Shephard added 12 points to close out the double-digit scorers. Keanu Patrick added seven rebounds and Dorian Booker added six points off the bench.

Despite shooting 39 percent from the floor in the first half, Northwest improved that total to 63 percent in the second half, finishing the evening with a 52 percent shooting effort. The Rangers also had 52 points in the paint, 35 bench points, 22 fastbreak points and 15 second chance points.

Meanwhile, PCCUA shot 35 percent from the floor and just 15 percent from three-point range. The Ridge Runners scored 42 points in the paint and 21 off the bench.

Charleston Wallace led PCCUA with 15 points, followed by 12 points from Jeremiah Aaron. Mitchell Hicks also added 10 points off the bench, while Brunson finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

Northwest will close out the fall semester in the Harvey Childers Classic next weekend, hosted by Northeast Mississippi Community College. The Rangers are slated to face Missouri State-West Plains on Friday, December 13 at 5 P.M. and PCCUA on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 P.M. Read Full Article