First-place Bulldogs face ICC challenge

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast will face another challenger to the MACCC top spot Thursday when Itawamba visits for a women’s basketball game.

The Bulldogs, who clinched a spot in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament with Tuesday’s win at Hinds, sit atop the 15-team league. The Indians are tied for fourth place, battling for a first-round bye awarded to the top four teams.

Tipoff at Dantzler Arena is set for 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at http://mgcccbulldogs.com/tickets, and the game will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch.

Records

• MGCCC: 16-4/9-1 MACCC, 1^st place in conference
• ICC: 18-3/6-3 MACCC, T-4^th place in conference

Last Time Out

• MGCCC beat Hinds 84-38 in Utica on Tuesday. Ja’Sharreah Hunt (So., Roxie/Franklin County) led the Bulldogs with 20 points.
• Itawamba lost 57-48 to Meridian on Tuesday in Fulton.

Previous Meeting

On Feb. 2, 2023, Gulf Coast beat Itawamba 73-47 at Perk. Simaru Fields and Tytiana Buckley had 18 points each, and TK Catchings had a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Notes

• Gulf Coast is second in the MACCC in field goals (27.2 per game), and third in 3-pointers made (5.6 per game) and rebounds (40.6 rpg).
• Ja’Sharreah Hunt (So., Roxie/Franklin County) is sixth in the league in 3-point shooting (37.7 percent) and ninth in free-throw shooting (73.4 percent).
• Simaru Fields (So., Pass Christian/Gulfport) is fourth in the MACCC in steals (53), sixth in three-pointers (42), seventh in scoring (14.9 ppg) and 10^th in assists (66).
• Je’Mya Evans (So., Gulfport/Harrison Central) is sixth in field goals (103).
• Tytiana Buckley (So., Meridian/Meridian) is sixth in rebounding (7.9 rpg), ninth in 3-point shooting (34.5 percent) and scoring (13.5 ppg), and 10^th in made 3-pointers (29)

Three Ahead

• Monday, Feb. 26: at Meridian, Meridian, 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, March 4: vs. Northwest Mississippi, Perkinston, 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday, March 7: at Southwest Mississippi, Summit, 5:30 p.m.

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