Two Coast teams will fight for Holiday Classic basketball title after a night of upsets
The 2021 Gulfport Holiday Classic title game was set in stone on Wednesday with D’Iberville pulling off another upset to earn a shot at an Admirals’ team that survived a fight with Picayune.
Day two of the tournament turned in another electric slate of games and big moments. Here is the full recap.
Player of the day
Dominic Simpkins, D’Iberville
Nobody dominated a half of basketball more than Simpkins did on Wednesday. The senior buried a pair of triples and at one point was responsible for nine consecutive Warrior points in the first half.
Despite not scoring in the second half, Simpkins was still effective. He grabbed 10 rebounds on the day to notch a double-double and attracted attention from Yazoo City’s defense in order to open up the lane for teammate Chandler Belford.
Moss Point steals one from Wayne County
A day after crumbling in the second half against Gulfport, Moss Point head coach Daryl Osby decided to wake his team up against Wayne County by sending a message to his experienced players.
“We sat three seniors down who didn’t play well in the second half (against Gulfport) to prove a point so we went with some of our younger kids,” Osby said. “I knew with putting our younger kids in, not only would they play with more energy but it would send a message to our seniors that we don’t need them. We can win without them.”
The message was heard loud and clear. Kiki Ford hit a late free throw to elevate the Tigers to a 44-43 win.
Kedrick Osby was a force in the middle quarters of the score, dropping 13 across the second and third quarters and finishing with 16 total.
Ford was right behind Osby with 12 points, eight coming in the first half.
“We need somebody to step up and Kiki normally gives us a double-double anyway,” Osby said. “I was happy that he stepped up for us.
The Tigers will play Meridian on Thursday for a fifth place finish.
D’Iberville rolls on against Yazoo City
The Warriors came into the Classic at a modest 8-6 and have taken down two of the most talented teams in the tournament.
D’Iberville never trailed and never wavered against Yazoo City en route to a 39-29 win. Simpkins led with 16 points while Belford chipped in 12 points and 13 rebounds.
“The job’s not done,” head coach Robin Sikes said. “The job is not done. It all means nothing if we lose tomorrow. We’ll go in, tell the guys we’re proud of them, put our head down and keep working.”
Sikes and the Warriors came into this tournament last year and stunned the Coast with wins against Harrison Central and Gulfport on their way to winning the championship game.
This year, D’Iberville is getting strong performances across it’s lineup to make yet another unexpected run.
Simpkins scored every one of his points in the first half to carry the Warriors to a 20-16 lead by halftime. With Simpkins shut down by the Indians in the second half, Belford stepped up and provided six field goals in the final 16 minutes of the game.
“The guys are really growing up,” Sikes said. “I just couldn’t be prouder of them. They take a lot from me in practice. I demand a lot of them but I’m thankful for them.”
D’Iberville will play Gulfport for the tournament title on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Sikes is looking to become the first back-to-back winner since Gulfport’s Danny Grieves won three straight from 2003 to 2005.
Gulfport 52, Picayune 50
Gulfport clinched a spot in the championship round in a back-and-forth bout with Picayune. The Maroon Tide had a chance at heroics for the second straight day but a three point shot from Josh Holmes at the buzzer missed the mark.
The Admirals outscored Picayune 13-2 in the third quarter and built a 16-point lead early in the fourth. The Maroon Tide roared back with a 16-2 run but ultimately fell short.
Javier Simmons led the Admirals with 15 points, including an emphatic dunk in the second half.
Kamari Mitchell hit four big free throws in the fourth quarter and finished the day with 14 points.
Holmes led Picayune with 13 points.
Meridian 68, Harrison Central 31
Meridian took out its day one frustrations on a Harrison Central team playing without Sam Murray. Red Rebel head coach Boo Hardy said Murray is still being evaluated, but in the meantime his team struggled against a top-ranked Wildcat squad.
The Red Rebels fell into a 39-7 halftime deficit and never recovered. Demarius Coleman, Harrison Central’s second-leading scorer, was held to just one point.
Shaun Murray, Sam’s brother, scored eight and Aujaylen Barron added eight points.
Harrison Central will play Wayne County for seventh place on Thursday.
