Gulf Coast avenges loss to Baton Rouge

PERKINSTON – Mississippi Gulf Coast avenged its only loss of the season, beating Baton Rouge in a game that unfolded almost identically to the teams' first meeting.

Until the end.

The Lady Bulldogs (3-1) defeated the Lady Bears 67-59 after seeing a 15-point halftime deficit dwindle to five with 90 seconds left.

"I called a time out and fussed at them pretty good," Gulf Coast coach Jason Conner said. "I said, 'Ladies, we have to play to win, not to lose.'"

Ka'Nosha Fairley nailed a pair of 3-pointers for Gulf Coast's first baskets, setting off a 17-2 run to open the game. Fairley finished with a team-high 12 points.

Jasmine Nettles had 10 points, with seven Lady Bulldogs scoring six or more points. Markeisha Watson and Courtney White had eight each.

The Lady Bulldogs squandered a 12-point lead in the first meeting, with an identical five-point advantage with 90 seconds left at Baton Rouge.

This time was different.

Watson put Gulf Coast up 63-56 with a put-back bucket with 4:10 left. Baton Rouge got the next two buckets, cutting the Bulldogs lead to four.

Fairley had a steal to stop the Lady Bears' next possession, then White got a layup off a pass from Whitney Williams that pushed the advantage to 65-59.

Fairley's biggest play might have been to pounce on a loose ball with 33.2 seconds left. Gulf Coast called a timeout, and Conner drew up a play got Nettles an easy basket.

"We picked-the-picker late and got Jazz open for the layup," he said. "That got it done for us."

Nettles got a rebound off the next Baton Rouge miss to end the threat.

"This was a good region win," Conner said. "We're 2-0 at our house. We have to keep that going. Jones is coming."

Gulf Coast opens MACJC play Dec. 3 when Jones visits Perkinston. The Lady Bulldogs play Bishop State on the road Thursday before the Thanksgiving break.