If the Pearl Pirates were feeling good off their 79-35 takedown of the Velma Jackson Falcons on Thursday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Pearl took a 71-53 bruising from Ridgeland on Friday. Pearl has not had much luck with Ridgeland recently, as the team's come up short the last six times they've met.
Phil Nelson was his usual excellent self, scoring 16 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds for Ridgeland. The game was Nelson's 12th in a row with at least ten points. Morris Hammond was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Pearl's defeat dropped their record down to 12-5. As for Ridgeland, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pearl will face off against Meridian at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Mississippi (Meridian is ranked 13th, while Pearl is ranked 31st). Ridgeland and Columbus will face off at 7:30 p.m. on January 2, 2024 without much rest after finishing up games yesterday.
