Wallace Community College-Selma men’s basketball coach Ronald Lane took “the full blame” for Saturday’s 84-67 loss to Pearl River (Miss.) Community College.

The loss completed the Pearl River sweep after the Lady Wildcats grabbed an earlier 67-59 victory over the WCCS women.

All signs pointed to a stronger WCCS effort by the men’s team, Lane said. But something was lost in translation.

“The effort with practice and warmups and the way they looked before the game, I thought we were ready,” Lane said. “We shot pretty well in practice, but it just didn’t translate over in the game.”

Pearl River led by as many as 14 points before taking a 39-28 lead at intermission. The margin stretched to 21 points in he second half.

“I was expecting a nail-biter,” Lane said. “But our offense was as static as I’ve ever seen it.

Freshman guard Charles Knight led the Patiots with 14 points, followed by freshman forwards Fentress Lockett and LaVaughan Nicholson with 11 points apiece. Sophomore guard Jerel Peoples had 10 points.

For Pearl River, freshman forward/center Phillip Crawford (6-7, 205 pounds) led all scorers with 32 points. Also in double figures were freshman guard Rod Little with 17 (15 in the second half) and freshman guard/forward Emile Jones with 10.

The Lady Patriots got within four points late in the game but couldn’t get closer. Pearl River led 35-25 at halftime.

Leading Wallace-Selma was Shauntay Gooden with 15 points, trailed by Brittany Harris (13) and Jamia Whiting (11).