Gulf Coast playoff hopes are in limbo after OT loss

PERKINSTON — A heartbreaking overtime loss and other results Thursday have put Mississippi Gulf Coast in danger of missing the NJCAA Region 23 Men's Basketball Tournament.

East Mississippi got a dunk with 8.8 seconds left to win 75-74 in the regular-season finale at Dantzler Arena. The Bulldogs' playoff fate will be in the hands of a computer algorithm, and the final outcome won't be known until Sunday morning.

Sophomore Night ended with the three players who took part in pregame ceremonies in double digits. JaVon Anderson (So., Columbia S.C./Ridge View) nailed a 3-pointer with 14.3 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. He made 3-of-6 from behind the arc to finish with 13 points.

Donovan Sanders (So., Walls/Lake Cormorant) led Gulf Coast with 19 points and seven assists. Darius Dawson (So., Sumter S.C./West Florence) had 14 points and five rebounds.

Gulf Coast led 74-71 with 58.1 seconds left in overtime after Anthony Robinson (Fr., Long Beach/Long Beach) stole a ball and sprinted for a layup. EMCC got two free throws with 46.3 seconds left before a defensive breakdown in a scramble led to the dunk.

Gulf Coast falls to 11-15 overall, 5-9 MACCC. The Bulldogs are in 12^th in the conference. Their fate lies in how the Massey Ratings sort themselves out. The top eight MACCC teams automatically made the region tournament, with the Louisiana conference champ getting another.

The three remaining spots are determined by those computer ratings, and Coahoma and East Central picked up wins against better clubs. It remains to be seen how much credit Gulf Coast will get for a close OT loss to third-place East Mississippi (19-5, 11-3) compared to those squads.

The bracket won't be determined until Sunday after a makeup game between Copiah-Lincoln and Meridian. It will be played Saturday afternoon, and the Massey is updated the following morning.

For more information on MGCCC's 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.