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The Class 5A Lady Admirals beat defending 2A champ New Site 66-57.
Gulfport’s second-half defense helped it increase a 25-21 halftime lead.
“We just didn’t do a good job beating it when they went to that halfcourt trap,” New Site coach Byron Sparks said. “We turned it over a couple of times and that big girl did a great job inside.”
Gulfport’s 6-foot-2 freshman post player Ameshya Williams scored 29 points to help her team improve to 10-2.
New Site trimmed a double-digit lead to seven points twice in the fourth quarter but Dentasia Thomas’ 3-pointer capped a 13-4 Gulfport run for a 60-4 lead with 3:30 to play.
Christy Clark’s three-point play cut the lead to single digits, 47-38, to open the fourth quarter. Clark led New Site (11-3) with 19. Grace Elliot had 15 and Addison Lucas 11.
Elliot boarded a missed free throw and made a tough basket to get the Lady Royals within 63-53 with less than a minute to play.
Thomas had 11 and Leeza Lizana 10 for Gulfport.
“We kind of disrupted them to start the second half with our halfcourt trap. That really helped us a lot,” Gulfport coach Donny Fuller said.
(G) Ocean Springs 53, Oxford 48: Three late 3-pointers brought Oxford back from a 10-point deficit with 2 minutes to play. Ocean Springs missed a pair of free throws and Jasmine Thompson hit a 3 to pull within 50-48 with 27.2 seconds to play. The Lady Chargers lost a turnover and Ocean Springs boarded a missed free throw. Lynise Byrd had 16 for Ocean Springs (8-4). Alexus Malone had 18 for Oxford.
brandon.speck@dailyjournal.com