Gulf Coast men lose in final seconds

PHOTO BY GREG HARTLEY JR./MGCCC

The Mississippi Gulf Coast men went to Wesson on Monday and led for large chunks of the game, but Copiah-Lincoln's over-the-head layup with 8.5 seconds gave the Wolves a 77-76 win.

Jayden McCorvey's free throw with 25.9 seconds left had given the Bulldogs a one-point lead, but a strong defensive recovery wound up with a missed shot landing back with Co-Lin and an awkward shot in the lane.

Melvion Flanagan (Fr., Alexandria La./Peabody), who led Gulf Coast with 21 points, missed a winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Anthony Ratliff (So., Jackson/Terry) and Rodrique Massenat (So., Trenton N.J./Trenton Catholic) had 14 points each, and Carr Thiam (Fr., Tampa Fla./Wharton) added 10. Damien Wheaton (So., Bay Springs/Bay Springs) led Gulf Coast with six rebounds.

The Bulldogs (2-2/1-2 MACCC South) had seven more rebounds than the Wolves (2-2/1-2), and Gulf Coast bounced back from a poor shooting effort against Meridian to make more than half its field goals. The Bulldogs shot 42.1 percent from the 3-point line and made 20-of-24 free throws.

Gulf Coast led by as many as 12 late in the first half and was up 39-31 at halftime. In a game with seven ties and eight lead changes, Co-Lin never had a cushion bigger than three.

The Bulldogs return to action Thursday at Perk. Hinds visits the Weathers-Wentzell Center at 6 p.m.

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.