Bulldogs’ season ends in Fulton

FULTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast saw its 2024-25 women's basketball season end Monday in Fulton.

Itawamba beat the Bulldogs 66-43 in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament quarterfinals.

"We didn't show up defensively," Gulf Coast coach Hope Adams said. "We hang our out playing defense. The first time we played them, when they made that run (in the fourth quarter), we were letting them get in the paint. We gave the guards too many paint touches today. We have to be able to keep teams like that off the board." 

Gulf Coast finished the season 14-14. Itawamba is 23-5 headed to the semifinals Friday in Poplarville.

The Bulldogs trailed by five after the first quarter, when there were four lead changes and a tie. But ICC went on a 13-6 run to take control.

Taelar Felton (Fr., Clinton/Clinton) led Gulf Coast with 12 points, and Kristen McMillan (So., Hoover, Ala./Hoover) had 10.

"We were cold offensively," Adams said. "People who usually hit shots, the shots weren't falling."

Gulf Coast was not able to defend its MACCC and Region 23 titles from last year, but a freshman-laden team couldn't fill those big shoes.

"We faced a lot of adversity," Adams said. "We took a young group and tried to grow them up really, really fast. We put young guards in a position they've never been before. We were defending champs, and for some of them that was a lot to take in and step up to a big role. We learned we had to let them grow up. Moving into the next season, we've got to build up a stronger team so we're not in this position next year." 

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