Northwest Mississippi women’s basketball edges Pearl River in overtime thriller

Senatobia, Miss. — Coming off a two-week break caused by winter storms, Northwest Mississippi Community College’s women’s basketball team edged Pearl River 71-70 in overtime Friday night. The Rangers improved to 13-6 overall and 4-1 in conference play.

Northwest struggled early, turning the ball over twice and allowing Pearl River to score the first seven points. The Wildcats built an early 10-point lead, which grew to 13 in the second quarter. The Rangers closed the half on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to five points.

The momentum shifted in the third quarter, with Northwest going on a 13-0 run in the first five minutes. After trimming the lead to two, Pearl River gained steam heading into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats’ Cy’nara Robinson hit a game-tying layup with one second left, sending the game into overtime tied at 58.

In the extra period, Pearl River took an early five-point lead, but Northwest responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead. The game remained close, and with 11 seconds remaining, Atesa Johnson scored a layup to give Pearl River a 70-69 lead. Following a foul on Robinson, Alorian Story went to the free-throw line and made both shots with one second left, sealing the victory for the Rangers.

Head coach LaTaryl Williams praised her team’s resilience. “For them to come back from being down by 15, then take the lead, and then win in overtime, it just showed the resilience of this team,” she said.

Four of the five starters scored at least 10 points. Sophomore Layla Hampton finished with a career-high 13 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds for her first career double-double. Dekyra Mitchell led all scorers with 23 points, and Story added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Hatch contributed significantly with a career-high 15 points, making several key layups after starting the game a bit rusty.

The team will aim to carry this momentum into their next game Monday against Meridian. Coach Williams emphasized the challenge ahead. “In this league, it’s never easy. We just tell our girls to approach each game like a playoff.

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