Barry, Hamilton lead Bulldogs over ECCC
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
East Central Community College | 43 | 35 | 78 |
|
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | 44 | 39 | 83 |
PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast won its final men's basketball game before Thanksgiving, beating East Central 83-78 at Dantzler Arena.
Jabbari Barry (So., Lake Charles, La./Barbe) led Gulf Coast with 21 points, and Za'Kariyea Hamilton (Fr., Jackson/Clinton) had 19.
It was a non-conference game against a tough MACCC foe.
"This is our third one of those," Gulf Coast coach Owen Miller said. "That was part of our intent in scheduling, to get some of these games. With our youth, we thought it would help us out in late February, early March."
Gulf Coast improved to 7-2 and is now 2-1 against MACCC opponents ahead of the start of conference play. The Bulldogs will play Jones and Hinds before Christmas. Conference play starts Jan. 13.
The Bulldogs trailed ECCC (5-4) by three with 3:45 to play in the first half before Hamilton scored four free throws, two on either side of a steal on the press. The Warriors went back in front of a 3-pointer and a baseline jumper before Gulf Coast outscored them 6-1 before halftime to take a lead the Bulldogs wouldn't relinquish.
Aujaylen Barron (Fr., Gulfport/Harrison Central) had a three-point play in that stretch that tied it at 42.
He finished with 12 points, including 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs shot nearly 77 percent from the charity stripe, and Hamilton made all eight of his attempts in the first half.
"He had a really good game," Miller said. "He's been struggling shooting, and he did a good job defensively."
Gulf Coast made all six free throws in the final 20 seconds to ice the game.
Larry Lee (So., Utica/Raymond) had 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. Fellow big man made all three of his shots and both free throws, making them a. combined 4-for-5 from the line.
Gulf Coast travels to Ellisville on Dec. 3 to play No. 4 Jones. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.