POPLARVILLE, Miss. — East Central Community College women's basketball battled throughout four quarters but came up short in a 53-40 loss at Pearl River on Sunday afternoon.

The Lady Warriors stayed within striking distance early, trailing just 16-13 after the opening quarter. East Central showed energy on the defensive end and attacked the glass, but Pearl River used a strong second quarter to build separation, outscoring ECCC 17-9 before halftime to take a 33-22 lead into the break.

East Central opened the third quarter with renewed intensity, trimming the deficit behind steady play from Raileigh Perry and A'Kiya Ratcliff. The Lady Warriors cut the margin to single digits midway through the period and held Pearl River to nine points in the quarter, but the home team maintained control heading into the final frame.

Pearl River capitalized at the free-throw line and forced key turnovers in the fourth quarter to seal the win, while East Central struggled to find a rhythm offensively down the stretch.

Perry led the Lady Warriors with nine points, four steals and three assists, while Jakaylin York added nine points, knocking down three three-pointers. Mikayla Holifield posted a strong all-around effort with seven points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Ratcliff contributed five points and four rebounds, and Charity Beemon added four points off the bench.

East Central finished with a defensive edge on the boards, grabbing 33 rebounds and forcing 20 Pearl River turnovers, but shooting woes and limited trips to the free-throw line proved costly.

The Lady Warriors will look to regroup as conference play continues, aiming to turn defensive effort into offensive consistency moving forward.