By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director
Anytime a promising season comes to an abrupt end for a prep sports team, it’s always disappointing.
But, what happened to the Ocean Springs boys basketball team over the weekend in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs was much more than that.
Heartbreaking. Stunning.
Almost inexplicable, to say the least.
The Greyhounds led home-standing Northwest Raknin on the road in Brandon 44-34 with less than :25 seconds to play in regulation.
But that’s when the wheels came off.

The Cougars rallied to not only tie the game up on a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, but then proceeded to hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer in the extra session to pull out an exciting 55-53 win.
“We outplayed them for 31 minutes and 30 seconds,” OSHS head coach Collin Goley said. “But you have to finish. This is playoff basketball and anything can happen. Especially when you’re on the road. There were a few questionable calls in the last :30 seconds, but at the end of the day we have to finish. I take the blame for not putting our guys in the right position. It’s on me. This one will haunt me for a long time. As a program we have to learn from this and move on.”
Ahead by that afore-mentioned double-digit point total with just less than :25 seconds to play, a couple of Greyhound fouls resulted in three made free throws from two different Cougars that cut the lead to 44-37.
Then, Northwest Rankin regained possession just seconds later when the Cougars tied OSHS up on the ensuing inbounds pass and the jump ball arrow was in favor of the home team.

Cougar Christopher Sanders then stormed into the lane on the ensuing inbounds pass and converted an old-fashioned three-point play to make it 44-40 with about :19 seconds to play.
A NWR foul sent Greyhound guard Easton Bahr to the line, and his two free throws extened the lead to six at 46-40.
But the Cougars sprinted down the court, and a 3-pointer by Caleb Hopson cut the deficit in half at 46-43 with :06 seconds left.
After a time out, Northwest Rankin’s Deshawn Dillion wrestled the ball away from the Greyhounds on the inbounds pass, made a few steps out past the 3-point arch, and drained the game-tying trey to send the game into OT.

Then, late in the extra session, Jeremie Packer of OSHS tied things up at 53-53 with two free throws, but Dillion wasn’t done.
His putback off a missed Cougar shot, again as the buzzer sounded, won the game for NWR at 55-53.
Jacolby Bailey paced OSHS with 12 points on the night, and Packer added 11 points.
Dillon led the Cougars with a game-high 17 points, 11 of those coming in the fourth frame and overtime combined.
Northwest Rankin now has a date with Gulfport Friday night in the Class 7A South State Quarterfinal round at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.