BOONEVILLE, Miss. — The 2023-24 season came to an end for the Pearl River men’s basketball team Monday night, falling in the Region 23 Quarterfinals 71-55 at Northeast.
Despite the loss, it was another fantastic season for the Wildcats, who won more than 20 games for the fourth season out of the last five, excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season.
Pearl River (21-10 overall) and Northeast (27-4) traded the lead six times in the early going before Northeast moved ahead by five points at 14-9. Led by Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.; Timber Creek Regional), the Wildcats got back within one point at 16-15 after the forward nailed a pull-up jumper.
The Tigers weren’t affected by the brief momentum switch, pushing back in front by seven at 26-19. PRCC wasn’t going to lay down, though, as a Ta’Zir Smith (Woodbridge, Va.; Virginia Academy) layup, an Ezereke Dawson Jr. (Plant City, Fla.) hook shot and a massive two-handed slam by Green made it a one-point game once again, 26-25.
A NEMCC basket later, Smith knocked down a free throw, and just before the buzzer sounded, he tapped in a ball that had rolled off the rim to send PRCC into the break locked in a 28-28 tie.
At the 18:52 mark in the second half, PRCC took its first lead since it was ahead three minutes into the first half. The 32-30 lead came on a layup by Dawson Jr. Shortly after, Smith made it a four-point lead by crushing a 3-pointer, 35-31.
The Tigers fought back, and the teams exchanged the lead a few more times, but a 3-pointer with 14 minutes left gave NEMCC a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish despite Pearl River’s best efforts.
Northeast went on to win the contest 71-55.
BY THE NUMBERS
Smith finished with 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Green tallied 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Dawson Jr. brought in 11 points and eight rebounds.
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