By Stan Caldwell/Sports Writer

HATTIESBURG — February is still a long way off, but high school basketball coaches are already thinking about the postseason.

That was one big reason why Ocean Springs made the trip to Watkins Gymnasium to face Hattiesburg Tuesday night in a non-region contest.

The Greyhounds came out on the short end of a 52-47 result, but head coach Collin Goley wasn’t displeased with how the night went. OS lost for just the first time this season after two wins to open the season; the Tigers improved to 3-0.

“That’s why we scheduled this game, to get better,” said Goley. “This is a hostile environment, and we want to face these adverse situations, and see how our team responded with those things, and I thought we did a good job of that.

“I thought there were times where we let it affect us, but we moved onto the next play, and we gave ourselves a chance to win it at the end of the game, and that’s all I can ask.”

Ocean Springs got off to a slow start, as Hattiesburg opened the game with a five-point play off the opening tip.

Senior Zavian Martin swished a 3-pointer from left baseline on the Tigers’ first shot of the game. He was fouled on the play, missed the free throw, but senior Lamar Dickson was there to stick the miss back in on the putback.

After the Hounds turned the ball over on three straight possessions, Martin sank a 12-foot jumper from the right wing, and Goley called a quick time out to settle his team.

Whatever was said worked, because Ocean Springs quickly got a basket when senior Christian Cowan drove into the lane then pulled up for a four-foot jumper.

A blocked shot by senior Chase Spring and a baseball pass to junior Jeremie Packer resulted in a wide-open layup, and a layup in traffic after another Tiger turnover.

Senior Christian Threatt capped the 9-0 run with a 3-ball from the left wing to give Ocean Springs its first lead of the game.

“I just had a lot of energy,” said Packer. “We started off bad. It was a long drive down here, and we had to get in our rhythm.”

It was the beginning of a big night for Packer, who carried the Greyhounds with 18 points, until he fouled out with 1:42 to play in the game.

“Jeremie Packer is a phenomenal player, and young man,” Goley said. “His motor is unbelievable. He’s non-stop the whole game. He’s elite on the glass, finishing around the rim. He’s one of our best players, and one of the best players in the Class of 2027.

But Hattiesburg went on an 11-3 run to close the first quarter leading 18-12.

Martin drove the lane for a layup, senior Christopher Brown-Wesley was good from four feet in the lane, junior Joseph Nichols got a fast-break layup and sophomore Zahir Mayfield finished it off by converting a three-point play on a 6-foot jumper.

The Tigers are small, but quick, and their dribble penetration proved hard to stop. Hattiesburg was good on 8 of 11 shots (72.7 percent) from the field, and were 18 of 35 (51.4 percent) for the game.

By contrast, Ocean Springs was 18 of 57 for the game, but just 4 of 30 from 3-point range.

“Our guys followed the game plan,” said first-year Tiger coach Joey Wade. “We knew they had two really good players, and a lot of good role players on their team. So we game-planned for the two big players, and they followed the plan.”

Ocean Springs adjusted somewhat, and got right back in the game to start the second quarter. Senior Jayvon Williams hit a trey from the left baseline, then Packer took a steal the length of the court, drew a foul and made the and-1.

After a stop, senior Luke Mackin got free along the baseline for a layup to put OS back in front 20-18.

But that would be the Greyhounds’ last lead of the game. Dickson tied it up with a layup, then Mayfield converted a fast break to put the Tigers ahead for good. Hattiesburg led at halftime 24-20.

“They’re scrappy; you just have to play as hard as you can,” said Williams who added 12 points for the Greyhounds. “You just have to stay in front of them.”

The Tigers seemed to take control of the game in the third quarter, with Nichols hitting a pair of 3-balls to give HHS an eight-point lead.

Ocean Springs appeared to regain momentum, converting fast-break layups on three consecutive possessions, two by Packer then one by Williams.

But on the ensuing Tiger possession, the Hounds were whistled for a foul on a 3-point shot, then a technical foul was called. Martin sank four of the five foul shots , then Dickson put back a missed 3-pointer to give Hattiesburg a 39-29 lead.

“We can’t let mistakes snowball,” Goley said. “We’ve got to be smart and move on to the next play. You’ve got to be mentally tough enough, and that was part of coming here, to challenge our mental and physical toughness.

“We learned a lot from this game, and we’re going to be better for it.”

Trailing 42-34 heading into the final period, Ocean Springs rallied with an 8-0 run, as Williams sank two 3-point shots from each baseline, the second tying the game 42-42.

But Packer picked up his fourth foul with 1:44 to play in the third quarter, came back to start the fourth quarter, but finally got his fifth foul and had to sit out the rest of the game.

“We started playing at our own pace,” said Packer. “Play a little harder than the other team. I just had to play without fouling. It wasn’t easy, but I fouled the guy. But my teammates stepped up after I left.”

Dickson got a putback, then Martin hit a 6-foot runner in the lane to put the Tigers up by four. Sophomore Joshua Klipka got a baseline drive for a layup, but Hattiesburg got a layup to take a five-point lead.

Ocean Springs hit three of four foul shots to stay in the game in the final minute, and had a chance with 13.1 seconds to play trailing 50-47, when HHS was called for a five-second call trying to inbound the ball.

The Hounds tried to get the ball to Williams for a tying 3-point shot, but the Tigers were able to deny him the ball and Nichols was fouled in the scramble for the ball. He sank both foul shots to finish with a team-high 14 points for Hattiesburg.

“I was just trying to create myself an opening,” Williams said. “Hopefully get a shot for my team, or get the ball to somebody else, or maybe back to me for a big one.”

It doesn’t get any easier for Ocean Springs, as they host Pascagoula Thursday night.

“The goal is to be the best we can be, come February,” said Goley. “The only way you get better is if you’re challenged in these adverse situations, and we understand that. We’re going to come back and be stronger Thursday.”