By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LAUREL — It proved to be a tough couple of day for the Gulfport girls over the long holiday weekend.

The Lady Admirals dropped a close 52-51 decision to visiting Heidelberg Saturday night in Bert Jenkins Gym in the final contest of the four game second annual “MLK Girls Grind”.

Then, on Monday afternoon, Gulfport headed to Laurel for the “Wilson Terrell MLK Classic” and fell to West Jones 52-37.

The pair of losses came on the heels of the Lady Admirals having to postpone their Friday night contest in Lyman against home-standing Harrison Central after several team members were involved in an automobile accident.

Gulfport head coach Marcus Price posted this on social media after Saturday night’s game:

“Three of my players were injured but are okay. We’re not sure how long they will be out recovering from their injuries. That being said, I have never been more proud of a group of kids than I am of my (basketball) babies today. Missing our starting backcourt and leading scorers, we battled a well-coached, talented, and veteran Heidelberg team, losing by one, 52-51.”

On Monday at Laurel High School, The powerful Lady Mustangs wasted no time in jumping out to a quick and commanding lead against short-handed Gulfport heading into halftime up 37-11.

Brooklyn Grady of West Jones doubled up the entire GHS output in the first quarter with eight points, including two 3-pointers, and the Lady Mustangs ended the period up 14-4.

But it was the second stanza when the wheels kind of fell off for Gulfport, as WJHS exploded for 23 points in the period with Jakera Ducksworth tallying 10 points in the frame with a triple of her own as well as an old-fashioned three-point play and the Lady Mustangs stormed into intermission with that aforementioned 26-point advantage at 37-11.

Gulfport’s Shamia Walker did everything she could to try and keep her team in the contest with eight first half points.

Walker’s teammate Ashlyn Casey, who had a 3-pointer in the second quarter, took over in the third frame and poured in 10 points including a trio of triples as the Lady Admirals did their did their best to stage a second half comeback.

But Ducksworth responded with eight third quarter points of her own, including a trey, and West Jones was able to keep the Lady Admirals at bay down the stretch.

Ducksworth tallied a game-high 20 points to paced WJHS to the win, while Grady chipped in 17 points.

Casey dropped in a team-high 18 points for GHS, including a career-high five 3-pointers. Walker finished with those eight first half points, and Kamrya Rockingham finished with seven points.

The Lady Mustangs moved to a solid 18-4 overall with the win, while GHS dropped to 10-12 overall.