MERIDIAN, MS - It was a challenging night for the Meridian Community College Eagles, as cold shooting led to a 73-49 loss to Pearl River in conference play.

The Eagles (8-12, 1-4 conference) struggled early, falling behind 16-4 as the Wildcats (16-3, 5-0 conference) came out firing. Meridian couldn't find its offensive rhythm in the first half, while Pearl River shot with precision, building a 35-16 lead at the break.

Meridian showed flashes of fight in the second half, highlighted by Michael James' trio of three-pointers, but the early deficit proved too steep to overcome. The Wildcats maintained control in the final minutes to secure the victory.

James led the Eagles with 11 points, while Chance Sutton added 8 points in the effort.

The Eagles will aim to bounce back on Thursday as they travel to Coahoma for another key conference matchup.