By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GAUTIER — The Hancock girls’ basketball team has done it again.

For the third straight season, the Lady Hawks have completed Region 4-6A play unbeaten in the regular season, after thumping home-standing Gautier 70-33 Friday night.

The win was the 34th straight in region play for Hancock, including the past two league tournaments, and the Lady Hawks now set their sights on yet another region tourney title in two weeks. Head coach Jamie Sisco’s crew moves to 17-8 overall and wrap up the region race at 10-0 for the third straight season.

This one was close throughout the first period only, as Gautier ot six points from Mariah Broughton in that opening stretch and trailed just 12-9 entering the second period.

But all the suspense was out of the way by halftime, as Hancock exploded for 24 points in the next quarter, thanks to the guard combination of Lexi Dreher and Lexi Ladner. Dreher scored seven points and Ladner added six points, as the Lady Hawks out-scored the Lady Gators 24-4 to take a commanding 36-13 lead into intermission and seal the deal.

Dreher led Sisco’s kids with 13 points, while Paityn Langley chipped in 11 points and Ladner added 10 points to the balanced scoring attack. Freshman Jaleigh Garriga had eight points and Megan Fausett had seven points.

Gautier fell to 5-21 overall and 2-8 in the region race with the loss. Broghton led the Lady Gators with 10 points, while Samantha West had eight points.

The Hancock win came with one of the most prolific Lady Hawks former players ever sitting courtside in former SouthMiss6 Sports Girls Basketball Player of the Year Brooklyn Cuevas.