Lady Indians rally late, fall at Pearl River

POPLARVILLE, Miss. - Carlie Brock gave the Lady Indians a jolt off the bench and I'Xana Winters brought them all the way back into it, but the rally came up short in a 66-61 road loss to Pearl River.

Pearl River (12-4, 5-0 MACCC) carried a 29-21 lead into halftime and still held the edge deep into the third, stretching it to 44-34 with 2:30 left in the quarter. ICC (13-7, 4-2 MACCC) flipped the feel of the game in the final minutes of the third, closing on a run to cut the deficit to 46-41 heading to the fourth.

The push started with Briyana Turner working inside and extending possessions on the glass, then Chloe Chism knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 35-28. Tootie Lockett and Emarie Boddie followed with baskets, Kinsley James added a late score, and Brock drilled a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left to bring the Lady Indians within five entering the fourth.

The Lady Indians kept coming. Brock knocked down a 3-pointer and Winters knock down a jumper to cut it to 54-52 with 4:17 to play. Brock finished a fast break to tie the game at 54-all with 3:56 remaining. ICC briefly grabbed the lead when Winters scored to put the Lady Indians up 56-54 with 1:55 left, but the Lady Wildcats answered late and closed it out at the free-throw line in the final minute. The Lady Indians connected on 9-of-14 from the free throw line while Pearl River converted on 16 of its 23 trips to the line.  

Winters scored 20 points and Brock added 15, going 6 of 6 from the field and 3 of 3 from 3-point range. Lockett finished with 10 points.

The Lady Indians will play their third game in five days after winter weather pushed the Pearl River game to Saturday. ICC heads back on the road Monday to face Jones College (16-3, 5-1 MACCC).