PEARL — Basketball is a game of runs.

And Pearl closed the game out with their biggest run as the Pirates used a 16-2 run to help get past Meridian 59-43 in a key Region 3-7A contest on senior night and the regular season finale for both teams on Friday night.

Pearl will host the Region 3-7A tournament next week. With the win the Pirates (19-7, 7-3 Region 3-7A) clinched the No. 3 seed in the district tournament and will face Oak Grove on Tuesday, while Meridian (13-11, 6-4) is the No. 4 seed and will face Petal in the first Round.

“We just knew how Meridian is, they’re a tough team, and they don’t go away,” said Pearl coach Rod Taylor. “We talked about being mentally and physically tough and wearing through all the momentum swings and play through it.”

Meridian’s Derrick Watts hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Wildcats a slim 11-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Pearl began the second quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 16-11 and held Meridian to just five points in the quarter to take a 18-16 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter the teams kept trading baskets that ended with Pearl holding a 36-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The beginning of the fourth quarter was a mirror image of the third quarter. Trading baskets saw Meridian cut the Pearl lead down to 43-41 with just over five minutes remaining.

From that point the Pirates went on a 11-0 run to take a 54-41 lead and sealed the game from that point.

Kaden Arterberry had a game-high 19 points to lead Pearl, while Jeremiah Daniel added 17 points, and both Jalen Stringfellow and Jaden Leak each chipped in 10 points each for the Pirates.

“We got guys that score the basketball and we’ve got to understand that when it’s not your time it’s not your time and once we figure that point out it goes a long way,” Taylor said. “It was big win at home. Everything starts over with the district tournament. Win or go home.”

William Davidson had 10 points to lead Meridian.

“All credit to Pearl. They came in and did what they’re supposed to do on a senior night,” said Meridian coach Ron Norman. “We’re 0-0 now. Good run through the regular season and proud of what we’ve accomplished, but now it’s that time. It’s playoff time. We began the season with the end in mind and now we’re at the end. We played a good schedule and seen everybody. We know what we can’t do we can fix and that’s the biggest thing.”