ODESSA, Texas — The Pearl River men's basketball team fell behind early against No. 12 Odessa and couldn't claw back, falling 75–55 to the Wranglers on Friday.

The Wildcats (5–3 overall) dug themselves into a hole from the start as Odessa (7–1) rattled off 12 consecutive points to open the night. Pearl River responded with five of its own: Daijon Leatherman (Slidell, La.; Legacy School of Sports and Sciences) split a pair at the line, Dalton Jackson (Booneville) drained a high-arching floater, and Christian Gilliland (Memphis, Tenn.; ABC Prep) converted two free throws to make it 12–5.

Odessa pushed its lead to 19–5 before Kelan Rich (Pascagoula) cut inside and banked in a layup to trim the deficit to 10 points at 19–9. Despite PRCC's attempts to settle in, the Wranglers continued to surge, carrying a 41–26 advantage into halftime.

Devonta Thompson (Bogue Chitto) knocked down a 3-pointer early in the second half to bring the score to 47–29. A few possessions later, Austin Fortune (Atlanta, Ga.; Dutchtown) threw down a forceful left-handed dunk to make it 49–32.

Pearl River appeared to grab some momentum late as Gilliland drilled a corner 3-pointer through contact and converted the four-point play to pull within 55–43. But the early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Wranglers continued to add on, closing out the 75–55 victory.

BY THE NUMBERS
Gilliland finished 4-for-9 from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line to finish with 18 points. He also had seven rebounds. 

Rich was second on the team with nine points. He also added four rebounds and three assists. Leatherman added eight points and three rebounds. 

NEXT UP
The Wildcats will close out the Wrangler Club Shootout Saturday at 1 p.m. against New Mexico Military.

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