By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — Exactly four weeks ago, Gulfport picked up perhaps its biggest regular season win by beating Meridian in what turned out to be its most successful regular season since winning the state title in 2014

A month later, the defending Class 7A state champion Wildcats made sure that the Admirals wouldn’t repeat not only that recent win but the postseason success from 11 years back as well.

Visiting Meridian stormed into Bert Jenkins Gym Monday night and brought Gulfport’s season to a stunning stop with a 52-46 win in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs. The decision gave the Wildcats a major measure of revenge from a 59-51 loss to the admirals in Laurel at an MLK Day event on Monday Feb. 20th.

The Wildcats, under the guidance of veteran head coach Ron Norman, now move on to the Class 7A South State Quarterfinal Round this Friday at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with a 15-13 overall record. The season comes to an end for Gulfport and first-year head coach Brian Butler at 28-3.

“I feel like that made them more hungry,” Butler said, of the previous win over MHS. “It made them want to beat us even more.”

The Wildcats led from buzzer to buzzer, and were ahead by as many as 15 at one point as well as 38-29 entering the fourth period. But after a furious Gulfport comeback cut the deficit to two with 1:30 to play, at 46-44, Meridian sophomore guard Demonte Powe provided his only points of the second half with a huge 3-pointer to stem the tide and ship the Admirals away for good.

“All the credit goes to my players, who never didn’t believe in what and who we are,” a jubilant Norman said. “We played a very tough schedule early to be ready for games like this. Columbus, Starkville, Raymond, Clinton…all on the road. It’s hard to win on the road in the road in the playoffs. I’m just Really proud of our team!”

Powe did have 10 points in the first half, including a pair of triples in the second stanza, as the Admirals got off to leads of 12-6 after one quarter and 28-18 at halftime.

But both Cameron Morris and Morris Robertson, Jr., nailed treys in the third frame for the home team and the Admirals had finally chopped that deficit to just single digits entering the final period.

Gulfport’s freshman standout center Travor Frost scored six points in the final frame and both Robertson and Denzell Jackson dropped in a 3-pointer apiece as the Admirals fought back and sliced Meridian’s lead to just two at that aforementioned 46-44 with 90 seconds left before Powe’s climactic dagger sealed the deal.

Jozeyrun Horne tallied 16 points to pace Meridian to the big upset, while Powe chipped in 13 points for the Wildcats.

Robertson guided Gulfport with 14 points and Frost added 13 points for the Admirals.

“I’m very proud of the young men in that locker room,” Butler added. “They invested so much in our program and worked so hard to become successful. Although we ultimately fell short of our goal, I feel like the foundation of our program has been laid and Gulfport basketball is on the rise.”