POPLARVILLE - Darren Davis nearly completed a double-double and
Jordan Ealey notched 16 points, as Northwest collected a pivotal 64-57 conference upset at Pearl River on Monday evening.
Though the game was close from the opening tip to the final buzzer, Northwest ultimately made shots when it counted, improving to 7-13 overall and 3-5 in the MACCC. The Rangers have collected three wins in their last four conference games.
Pearl River dropped to 18-4 on the season and 5-2 in the MACCC, falling to the Rangers for the second consecutive season.
Ealey got Northwest going early, dropping back-to-back three-pointers to give the Rangers an 11-8 lead with 14 minutes left in the first half.
Nolan Wells followed with a steal and score, keeping the Rangers ahead 15-13 with 9:30 remaining.
Pearl River did just enough to reclaim the lead and stay ahead for the rest of the first half, but the Rangers certainly tested the Wildcats and kept pace down the stretch. PRCC took a 26-25 lead into halftime, only for Northwest to come out on a 10-4 run over the first five minutes of the second half, earning a 35-30 advantage.
Pearl River tied the contest at 44-44 with less than seven minutes to go, but Wells hit a clutch three-pointer at the 6:31 mark, putting the Rangers back ahead at 47-44. Later,
DeShun Dunn nailed a three-pointer of his own, giving Northwest some breathing room, 52-45.
As the Wildcats drew back within three points,
Devin Moore hit a clutch jumper at the 3:05 mark, giving the Rangers a 56-51 lead. From there, Northwest hung on to the lead and gained separation over the final 1:30 of regulation, thanks to a few made free throws.
Northwest shot 43 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three-point range. The Rangers also made 60 percent of their free throws, compared to 58 percent by the Wildcats.
Pearl River finished shooting 36 percent on the evening, but just 4-for-18 from beyond the arc. The Wildcats did outmatch the Rangers in total rebounds (42-32) and points in the paint (28-22), but Northwest edged PRCC 14-9 in bench points.
Davis led all scorers, collecting 17 points and eight rebounds, while Ealey added six rebounds to his 16-point effort. Dunn finished with seven points, six assists and five rebounds, while Moore and
Shavurdacour Nicholas combined for 12 points off the bench.
Ta'Zir Smith finished with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double to lead the Wildcats, followed by a pair of 12-point efforts from Ezereke Dawson, Jr. and Devin Jones. Cedquavious Hunter added 10 points of his own, followed by nine points off the bench from Davion James.
Northwest will now turn its focus to Thursday, February 15, when the Rangers host local rival Coahoma at 7:30 P.M. The Tigers (9-7, 1-6 MACCC) are coming off a two-loss skid, narrowly falling to Mississippi Gulf Coast in overtime, 99-96.
Thursday's game can be seen on Ranger TV and Action News 5 Plus.
