Bulldogs beat Santa Fe by 2

Mississippi Gulf Coast won its second straight game at the Pensacola State Classic on Saturday, shutting down Santa Fe late for a 79-77 victory.

The Bulldogs made a free throw to go up by two with 12 seconds left, then put the clamps on the Saints.

"I was really pleased with that possession in particular because we had a hard time keeping the ball in front of us," Gulf Coast coach Owen Miller said. "We did it on that possession right there. We made a couple of changes and switched every screen. They really did a good job and didn't gamble. They didn't get a shot off."

Kaue Kalinowski (So., Brazil Curitiba/Divine Savior) had his second 20-point game to lead the Bulldogs with 21 points. Za'Kariyea Hamilton (Fr., Jackson/Clinton) had 12 points, and Aujaylen Barron (Fr., Gulfport/Harrison Central) had 10.

Ten different Gulf Coast players scored, and the Bulldogs survived a cold-shooting first half to lead 39-34 at the break.

"We had five field goals at halftime," Miller said. "We were getting good looks, but just couldn't make anything. We were much, much improved defensively today, especially in the half court. We forced 22 turnovers, which helped our offense. We really struggled getting the ball in the hole."

The Bulldogs shot 55 percent from the field in the second half to rally after falling behind double-digits soon after coming out of the halftime locker room.

Gulf Coast went to the rack time and time again, making 24 of 32 field goals. Santa Fe (0-2) attempted 21 free throws.

The Bulldogs play their first home game Wednesday when the Mobile University JV visits Dantzler Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Buy your tickets ahead of time to save money. It costs $7 for adults or $5 for youth online, or $10 and $7 at the gate. Tickets are available at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets, and the game will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch.

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.