By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — As the regular season wound down for Gulfport last year, the Admirals faced long odds to qualify for the first-ever Class 7A South State playoffs.

This season, with a new head coach at the helm and thanks to a season sweep over arch-rival Biloxi, Gulfport has already locked up a playoff berth with several games to play.

The Admirals slipped into the Biloxi Sports Arena Monday night and slipped out with a 63-55 overtime win in Region 4-7A action. The decision moves Gulfport, under the direction of first-year head coach Brian Butler, to an impressive 24-2 overall and his squad remains perfect at 8-0 in the region race.

The Admirals have already clinched a berth in the upcoming playoffs due to the fact that they have assured themselves of at least a top two seed in next week’s Region 4-7A Tournament which they will host.

“I feel blessed to have a group of guys who are fixated on a goal like the playoffs and fought to achieve that goal,” Butler said. “However, at Gulfport, that is one of the expectations. There’s a high standard here, and our guys are determined to live up to it.”

After a huge second half come back for the Admirals, Biloxi and Gulfport were knotted up at 51-51 at the end of regulation Monday night, but it would be all Admirals in the extra session.

Admiral center Travor Frost out-scored the Indians by himself in the overtime period, as he dropped in half of Gulfport’s six points while Denzel Jackson went four-for-four at the free throw line as the visitors out-scored the home team 12-4 to seal the eight point win at 63-55.

Biloxi, which dropped a close 52-51 decision on the road at Bert Jenkins Gym two weeks ago to Gulfport, looked poised to turn the tables on their arch-rival jumping out to a double-digit 25-14 lead at halftime.

The Indians got six points from Alan Ayala in the first period en route to that advantage and then Kentrell Beasley added eight points including two 3-pointers in the second stanza.

But Gulfport responded in fine fashion as the second half unfolded, with five points including a trey from Cameron Morris in the third frame and the Admirals cut the deficit to single digits at 41-32 entering the final period.

Jackson, who had just three points in the first three quarters, sprang to life in the fourth period with six points including a triple and Markel Simmns added five points including a trey of his own. Frost also chipped in five points down the stretch and Gulfport tied the game up at 51-51 setting the stage for that climactic finish in overtime.

Frost guided Gulfport with a game-high 17 points in the win while Jackson added 13 points and Simmons chipped in 10 points to the winning effort.

Beasley led Biloxi with 13 points while Ayala added 12 points and Alejandro Montalvo had 10 points for Biloxi. The Indians battle Ocean Springs Tuesday night in a key region game in a battle for one of the top two seeds.