By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LAUREL — First-year Gulfport head coach Brian Butler’s boys basketball team has reeled off 23 win in its first 24 games this season.

But the latest victory by the Admirals may be one of the most impressive.

Gulfport moved to a solid 23-1 overall Monday afternoon with a 59-51 win over defending Class 7A state champion Meridian at Laurel High School in the “Wilson Terrell MLK Classic”.

The perennial state power Wildcats, who captured the first-ever Class 7A state championship in the state of Mississippi last year, ended Gulfport’s season in the process eliminating the Admirals in the opening round of the state playoffs en route to their second state title in seven seasons.

““I’m just extremely proud of our guys!” Butler said Monday. “They feel like if they prepare properly and work hard, they can compete with anyone in the state. Today, playing a perennial and defending state champ meant a little more to them. They were determined to show the entire state that they are ready for top completion. Games like today bring the best out of them… and they love it.”

The teams battled back and forth on a pretty even basis throughout the first half, as Gulfport’s C.J. Burnham put in six points in the opening quarter and the Admirals took a 12-9 lead.

But Meridian’s Demonte Powe tallied nine of his team’s 10 points in the second stanza, all coming on a trio of 3-pointers, and the Wildcats stayed within striking distance trailing 25-19 at halftime.

Both Burnham and Cameron Morris scored five points apiece in the third frame, including a triple by Morris, and the Admirals slowly but steadily stretched their advantage to double digits for the first time at 41-31 heading into the final period.

Try as he might, Powe tried to carry Meridian back into the game on his own as he tallied 12 more points including two more treys in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats got within five points down the stretch but Morris Robertson, Jr., Denzell Jackson and Ladarrius Johnson all nailed a 3-pointer each for Gulfport as the Admirals managed to sail out of Jones County with the big win.

Robertson guided Gulfport with 17 points in the win, while Burnham chipped in 11 points and Jackson had nine points.

Powe poured in a game-high 21 points for Meridian. The Wildcats fell to 10-10 overall with the loss.