By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

OCEAN SPRINGS — The numbers two and three somehow added up to 17 for the Gulfport boys basketball team on Monday afternoon.
After falling to Region 4-7A foe D’Iberville twice this season, the Admirals and Warriors met for the third time to open play in the league tournament here at Hubbard Gymnasium with the season on the line for both teams.
When it mattered most, Gulfport pulled out a big 60-38 win to earn a berth in the state playoffs for the 17th straight season.

The Admirals, the fifth seed in the tourney, moved to 9-18 overall with the win and they advance into Tuesday’s semifinal round where they’ll meet long-time rival Harrison Central at 5 p.m. The Red Rebels are the top seed in the event.
D’Iberville, the fourth seed, ends it season at 9-18. The Warriors swept past Gulfport in the regular season, including taking a 36-31 road win in Bert Jenkins Gym to wrap up region regular season action just six days ago. The other decision was also a five-point win, 51-46 in D’Iberville in mid-December.
The Admirals, however, would have none of that in the third and final meeting, jumping out to a 13-5 lead after the first quarter thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Amir Abdul Rauf and some stingy defense.
Gulfport continued to stretch its lead as the second stanza unfolded, as Tavarius Brown put in a pair of baskets and the Admirals sailed into halftime with a 25-13 advantage. D’Iberville’s Jeremiah Huntley accounted for most of the Warrior points with seven.
It was the third frame where the Admirals took complete control of the affair, though, out-scoring DHS 21-13 thanks to seven points apiece from both Rauf and Morris Robertson and GHS had finally doubled up D’Iberviile at 46-23 at the end of the frame.

Rauf guided Gulfport to the win with a game-high 21 points, while Arjae Robinson added 10 points and Robertson had nine for the Admirals. With its first-ever trip to the Class 7A South State playoffs set, the Admirals made a trip to the Class 6A playoffs in all 16 seasons they competed on that level before expansion prior to this year. Gulfport’s last time to miss the postseason was in 2008, their final season in Class 5A.
Jhylonce Holden led the Warriors with 11 points. Gulfport held D’Iberville’s Juan Santiago scoreless in the first half and he ended up with just five points.

In other action at the Region 4-7A Tournament Monday afternoon, in the first game of the day the St. Martin girls secured a berth in the Class 7A South State playoffs as well by thumping home-standing Ocean Springs 72-29.

Thirteen different players scored in the game for the Lady Yellow Jackets, who moved to 21-7 overall. Jay Robinson scored 15 points to pace SMHS, while Kaleah Lowery chipped in 11 points to the winning effort. Kylenn Ward added eight points and Kenndi Jenkins had seven points off the bench as Lady Yellow Jackets head coach Jason Kennedy went to his reserves early and often in the contest.
St. Martin moves on to the semifinal round on Tuesday to face second-seed Harrison Central at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday afternoon.
Starr Jackson tallied 15 points to lead the Lady Greyhounds, as the sixth-seed ended its season without a win in 11 region outings this season. and ends up 4-18 overall.