Women’s Basketball tips off Monday

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast tips off its 2022-23 women's basketball season with a pair of road games, starting Monday when the Bulldogs travel to New Orleans to play Delgado.

Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Williamson Center on the City Park Campus of Delgado.

"I have very, very high expectations for this team," coach Hope Adams said. "We were able to add some really key pieces into what we were missing last year. We're bringing back a lot of experience with our third year returners, and so we're really ready to get this thing rolling. I think it's a little bit of both. We definitely want to run the ball."

Gulf Coast will play Copiah-Lincoln on Thursday at Wesson before hosting the Bulldog Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 21-22. MGCCC will play East Mississippi on Monday and Chattahoochee Valley on Tuesday.

Tickets are on sale at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets. Individual game tickets cost $7 for adults, and $5 for youths. Children 12 and under are free.

Gulf Coast is also selling basketball season passes, which will admit you to all games. Coach Adams' women's team will play 12 home games, and coach Tim Ryan's men's team will play 13. Season passes cost $50 for adults and $40 for youth, plus ticketing and processing fees. 

All home games will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch. 

One big storyline this season isn't technically on the court. It is the court.

During the season, the Bulldogs will move into the new MGCCC Arena, right across from A.L. May Memorial Stadium and next to the MGCCC Tennis Complex.

"I know the players, the third-year returners, we've been telling them since the day they signed that we were getting that building," Adams said. "And so, I'm just excited that they're going to be able to play in there this year. I really just think is bring it up our player morale as well. We're really excited to get in that thing and really make sure that this season is that breakout season with having a new arena."

Gulf Coast returns four players using a third year of eligibility after the COVID start to their careers. Leading scorer Elsie Harris (So., Mobile, Ala./B.C. Rain), who averaged 11.3 points and also a team-best 3.4 assists, is back, as is TK Catchings (So., New Hebron/Simpson Academy). She's dropped 30 pounds and runs the floor better than ever.

Aniya Saddler (So., Columbus/Columbus) was second in scoring (11.1 ppg) is a great slasher with a strong mid-range game. Beverly Tillman (So., Laurel/Laurel) was third with 9.1 points per game, and Sharisse Bridges (So., Jackson/Callaway) had four double-doubles last year. 

Morgyn Payne (So., Coushatta, La/Red River) returns at point guard, and Amber Scott (So., Jackson/Hillcrest Christian) is one of the team's most athletic players who can get to the rim and score from either wing. 

Asia Madison (So., Hazlehurst/Hazelhurst) is a third-year transfer from East Central.

Four freshmen guards will be important for the Bulldogs. Ja'Sharreah Hunt (Fr., Roxie/Franklin County) averaged 22.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.6 steals her last year in high school while shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line. Simaru Fields (Fr., Gulfport/Gulfport) scored 18.2 points and is a former Sun Herald Player of the Year. Tytiana Buckley (Fr., Meridian/Meridian) helped lead Meridian to the Class 6A state championship last season. Destini Sims (Fr., Vicksburg/River City) averaged 11.2 points as a senior.

Je'Mya Evans (Fr., Gulfport/Harrison Central) will play after sitting out a redshirt season, and Zykerri Segrest (Fr., Vicksburg/Warren Central) will join her in the ranks of forwards.

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