By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

GULFPORT — The Harrison Central boys basketball team has been on a bit of a roll since the calendar flipped to the new year.
The home-standing Red Rebels knocked off visiting Northwest Rankin 79-66 Saturday night in the opening round of the first-ever Class 7A South State playoffs. With the win, which was the 12th out of 13 games for HCHS since January 3rd, veteran head coach Boo Hardy’s crew moves to 23-8 overall.
Harrison Central, which has also won 17 out of its last 19 games, moves on to face Brandon at 5:30 p.m., in the Class 7A South State Quarterfinal Tournament in Perkinston next weekend at Dantzler Arena on the campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Leading just slightly at 14-13 after the first quarter in their playoff opener, the Red Rebels took control in the second stanza out-scoring the Cougars 20-11 to take their first double-digit advantage of the contest at 34-24 heading into halftime.

Northwest Rankin never cut the deficit to single digits again.
The Red Rebels steadily stretched their lead to as many as 16 points as the second half unfolded, before settling for a 55-41 advantage after three frames.
Senior standout guard Aujaylenn Barron poured in 30 points and grabbed nine steals to lead the way to the win for HCHS, while Shaun Murray chipped in 16 points to the winning effort. Mickey Ducksworth had eight points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for the Red Rebels, while Jaden Eckford had nine points and four assists.

Meanwhile, while the Red Rebels survived, a pair of other perennial state powers from Harrison County and members of Region 4-7A saw their respective seasons come to an end with opening-round losses on the road Saturday night.
Biloxi fell to Harrison Central’s next opponent Brandon 58-54. The Bulldog combo of Nate White and Braylon Barnes was just too much for the Indians to overcome and keep their season alive, as the pair combined for 41 points in the close win.
White posted a double-double in the winning effort, with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Barnes also chipped in 19 points. Biloxi got 21 points from Reggie Conner.

Biloxi ends its season at 20-10 overall, but the Indians were sitting at a promising 18-8 entering the HoopsFest in late January. Biloxi proceeded to drop four of its last six games of the season, beginning with a 53-42 loss to Laurel in that event in Gulfport.
In fact, one of Biloxi’s only two wins in its final six games was over Gulfport last week.
And speaking of Gulfport, the Admirals that hosted that Hoopsfest event also saw its season come to an end Saturday night with a 64-41 loss to home-standing and perennial state power Meridian.