By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

OCEAN SPRINGS — Gulfport was 14-0 in Region 4-7A play under second-year head coach Brian Butler entering Tuesday’s road game in Ocean Springs.
The Greyhounds didn’t care.
Home-standing Ocean Springs pulled out a big 68-62 league win in Hubbard Gym over the Admirals Tuesday night. The win was the first of the season in region play for the Greyhounds, who moved to 1-2 in the loop and 7-5 overall with the decision that snapped a four game losing streak.
The loss was the first overall of the season for Butler’s crew, which swept through league play and the region tourney last year. Gulfport is now 2-1 in the region race and 8-1 overall.

“We were out-played and out-coached by a very well prepared, very tough Ocean Springs squad tonight,” Butler said. “They shot well and competed hard.”
Gulfport led barely at 48-47 entering the fourth period, but OSHS got nine points from senior point guard Christian Cowan down the stretch including a pair of big 3-pointers to pull out the win by out-scoring the Admirals 21-14 in the final frame.
“Great team win,” third-year Greyhound mentor Colin Goley said. “Our guys showed a lot of resiliency after losing our last four games. We just continued to get better each day and learn from each game and stayed together. Very proud of them for that.”

Chip Claunch only scored six points for the home team, but five of them came in that decisive fourth quarter and he nailed a key trey as well.
Cowan tallied a game-high 22 points, including five 3-pointers, to pace the home team, while Jayvon Williams chipped in 16 points to the winning effort. Luke Mackin added eight points, thanks in large part to a duo of treys as the Greyhounds converted 13 shots from long range.
Morris Robertson had 20 points to guide Gulfport, while Denzel Jackson added 16 points and Cameron Morris had eight points for the Admirals.

Gulfport stays on the road in region play and heads to arch-rival Biloxi Friday night, while OSHS travels to Lyman to face home-standing Harrison Central.
“That win got us back in the district mix after dropping our first two,” Goley concluded. “We’re not going to admire our work, we’re going to get ready for Harrison Central on Thursday.”