Northwest Rankin Cougars (Brandon, MS) backers were pleased Tuesday as they saw their basketball squad hold off the visiting Brandon Bulldogs (Brandon, MS), 51-49 in a league bout.

With the victory, Northwest Rankin upgrades its record to 22-10 on the campaign. The Cougars host Pearl (Pearl, MS) to play the Pirates in a 7A Region 3 bout on Thursday, February 8. The Pirates come into the bout with a record of 8-18. Pearl lost 44-32 in their recent non-league bout against Meridian (Meridian, MS)

Next up, the Bulldogs play the Pearl Pirates (Pearl, MS) in a 7A Region 3 bout, on Friday, February 9. Brandon will attempt to upgrade on its 12-13 season record.