SENATOBIA - Limited to just 35 points on the evening and six in the fourth quarter, Northwest dropped its second consecutive MACCC loss on Monday evening to No. 16 Pearl River, 50-35.

Offense was hard to come by for both clubs throughout the contest, but the Lady Wildcats shot 50 percent over the span of the fourth quarter, while the Lady Rangers were just 2-for-12 and held to 17 percent shooting down the stretch.

Northwest dropped to 8-9 on the season and 4-3 in conference play, while Pearl River jumped to 17-2 overall and 6-1 in the MACCC. The loss also marked the third in a row in the all-time series against the Lady Wildcats.

Pearl River led 5-0 until the 5:29 mark of the first quarter, when a layup from Alorian Story helped finally get the Lady Rangers on the scoreboard. However, Northwest wouldn't score again until two minutes later, when Layla Hampton's jumper closed the gap to 9-4.

Jazmine Jackson's free throws at the 1:59 mark of the opening period made it a seven-point lead for the Lady Wildcats, but the Lady Rangers garnered the final few points of the quarter and trailed 11-7.

Northwest opened the second quarter with a layup from Hampton and a free throw from Story, closing the gap to one. Pearl River eventually built its lead back to six points, only for the Lady Rangers to pull back within a point, thanks to a jumper from Takera Bland with 1:40 remaining until halftime.

Jackson helped the Lady Wildcats respond with a three-pointer on the other end of the floor, but Story responded with a jumper with less than 10 seconds to go, bringing Northwest back to a 21-19 halftime deficit.

Although both teams relied heavily on defense in the first half, Pearl River's offense gained steam in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Sparked by a pair of free throws from Mikayla Riley, the Lady Wildcats went on a 13-2 run over the first six minutes of the second half, with Story's jumper at the 7:48 mark being the only Northwest points in that timeframe. 

While the run helped Pearl River stretch its lead to double figures, the Lady Rangers used a series of successful free throws to trim the deficit to seven points, 36-29, by the end of the third quarter. 

However, it would only take a single minute for the Lady Wildcats to pull back ahead by double digits, thanks to Riley's three-pointer. From there, Northwest never cut the lead back under 10 points and only three baskets were scored by either team over the final four minutes of regulation.

Pearl River finished the evening shooting 32 percent from the floor, recovering from a 15 percent average in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Lady Rangers shot 28 percent on the evening and 50 percent in free throws, but just 13 percent from beyond the arc. In comparison, the Lady Wildcats finished 62 percent from the charity stripe and 33 percent from three-point range.

Northwest was also outmatched in several categories, including total rebounds (47-34) and off the bench, where Pearl River's reserves combined for 38 points. Riley's 14 points led the charge, while Jackson finished with an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Story led the Lady Rangers with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Hampton and Mariah Reed-Jones accounted for six points apiece. Bland had only four points, but led Northwest in total rebounds (8) and blocks (6).

Next up for the Lady Rangers is a chance for redemption at Coahoma. The two teams met in non-conference action earlier this season, with the Lady Tigers taking a 72-68 victory in Senatobia.

Coahoma (15-2, 5-1 MACCC) is currently in the middle of a five-game winning streak, after most recently defeating Mississippi Gulf Coast on Monday. The Lady Tigers have also lost just one game on their home floor this season, which occurred against Pearl River on January 13.

Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 P.M. on Thursday, February 6 in Clarksdale. Live coverage of the game can be found here. Read Full Article