Pearl River Central High School hosted home games in both soccer and basketball on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils came away with a dramatic comeback victory in the final seconds of the boys’ basketball game against Stone County.
Trailing by 12 at the half, the Blue Devils rallied in the fourth quarter to cut the Tomcats’ lead to two points with less than a minute remaining.
Junior forward Donte Stephens brought the crowd to life early in the second half with a dunk in traffic on one end of the court, followed by an emphatic block on defense on the ensuing possession.
The Blue Devils’ offense heated up from three-point range in the fourth quarter, fueling the rally and putting the team in position to try to win the game at the buzzer. With PRC trailing 51-49 and only 2.6 seconds remaining, the ball was inbounded to senior guard Alex Travis, who was fouled on a three-point attempt.
Travis stepped to the line and calmly sank all three free throws, giving the Blue Devils a 1-point lead with less than a second left to play. The Tomcats missed their desperation heave to the basket, and PRC secured the 52-51 victory on their home floor.
The 14-5 Lady Devils’ basketball squad defeated Stone County earlier this season, but lost 55-44 on Tuesday. Head Coach Tony LaBella credited the Lady Tomcats for hitting the shots they needed to win, and added that his team is capable of playing better. The Lady Devils were coming off a 54-38 victory against Wingfield last Friday.
Both PRC basketball teams will be in action this Friday night as they travel to Brookhaven for a district game.
In soccer news, the Pearl River Central High School boys and girls were swept by West Harrison High School.
The boys allowed an early goal, but tied the game on a free kick only a few minutes later. The Blue Devils backline held up well, and the 2-1 score at halftime had PRC within striking distance. Over the course of the game, West Harrison was able to hold possession and dictate the pace. The Hurricanes scored three second-half goals and won the contest 5-1.
The Lady Devils fought hard all night, but a talented Lady Canes team played an impressive game. Despite their effort, the PRC girls lost 6-0.
The Blue Devils soccer teams will also play on the road Friday night against Stone County.