By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

KILN — The Hancock boys basketball team snapped a long losing streak against an old and familiar foe Tuesday night.
The Hawks knocked off a struggling Gulfport team 58-55 in overtime to tip off the 2024 portion of the schedule for both squads. It was the first win over the Admirals on the hardwood for Hancock in 14 years since a 53-52 Hawk win in late January of 2010.
Hancock had dropped 32 straight games to Gulfport, including three last season when both were members of Region 8-6A. The Hawks remained in Class 6A this season after expansion by the MHSAA as the Admirals moved up to the new Class 7A after the realignment.
Gulfport also beat visiting Hancock 49-35 six weeks ago. The Hawks hadn’t beaten the Admirals since first-year Hancock head coach Conner Entrekin was a freshman on the HHS team.

“I’m very proud of these guys for buying into our system and continuing to work hard and improve each day,” Entrekin said. “I’m very excited for them to break this long steak against Gulfport. It’s a credit to their determination and character and team work.”

The teams went to the game-deciding extra session Tuesday after Jason Knight put HHS up 51-49 with just over a minute to play and then Gulfport’s Chance Gaines knotted the game up on a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left in regulation.
In overtime, the Admirals won the tip but that was it. After the tip Hancock’s Jude Ulrich stole the ball and dished it off to Knight underneath the basket for a lay-up to give the Hawks the lead for good at 53-51.
On Hancock’s next trip down the court, Todd Dedeaux hit a short jumper in the lane to make it 55-51. Gulfport’s Amir Abdul Rauf responded with a lay-up to cut the deficit back to two for the moment, setting the stage for the biggest play of the game.
On the ensuing inbounds pass for the Hawks, Ulrich hit Dedeaux in full stride on the other end of the court and Deadeaux not only converted the basket but drew a foul as well. His free throw made it 58-53 with just over a minute to play and sealed the win for the Hawks. “It’s an option we have but two guys have to be on the same page for it to work,” Entrekin added. “Jude and Todd worked it to perfection. That’ the kind of plays we have to make to win these type of games.”

Washington led Hancock with a game-high 22 points while Rauf tallied 19 points in the loss for GHS.
Washington also made a big defensive play at the end of regulation, as his steal and save to Dedeaux allowed Dedeaux to find Knight down on the block for the shot that gave the Hawks their all-important final basket in regulation.

“Mike Washington has been a rock for us all season long,” Entrekin said. “He’s stepped into a leadership role and really embraced it. I’m proud to have him and Todd as the two seniors on my first team as the head coach.”
The Hawks now stand 9-9 overall and have a four-game win streak. Hancock hosts yet another former Region 8-6A foe in Biloxi on Thursday night before heading to Pascagoula to face perennial state power Hattiesburg on Saturday afternoon in the Raising Canes Panther Classic. “We knew this was going to be a big week for us starting with the Gulfport game,” Entrekin concluded. It’s a chance to show us how much we’ve improved since starting off the season a little slow. Hopefully, these games will gets us more prepared for when we resume region play next week.”
Meanwhile, Gulfport dropped to 6-11 overall and has lost four straight games. The Admirals get back into Region 4-7A play by hosting Ocean Springs Tuesday night.