4th-seed MGCCC hosts 5th-seed Meridian

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast will go against a team the Bulldogs are very familiar with Saturday in the NJCAA Region 23 Women's Basketball quarterfinal at Dantzler Arena. 

The Bulldogs will tip off against Meridian at 3 p.m., and the game will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch.

"We'll definitely have to contain the (Terica Smith)," Gulf Coast coach Hope Adams said. "They are a very poised team working with five sophomores on the floor right now. They play really well together, so we'll have to make sure that we control the paint and don't give up a lot of second-chance opportunities. We need to find shooters on the floor. We want to come out very aggressive defensively and push the ball."

The higher seeds host the region quarterfinals, with the winners advancing to the semis. Pearl River won the MACCC championship and has the inside track to host the three games that will determine who advances to the national tournament. If PRCC is upset, the highest-remaining seed will host.

The women's semifinals will be played Wednesday, with the championship decided Friday.

 The Bulldogs (17-6) are the fourth seed in the tournament, and Meridian (24-5) defended the fifth seed on Thursday by running away from 12^th-seeded Northeast Mississippi 83-44.

Gulf Coast lost 63-58 to Meridian here at Perk on Nov. 1, the third game of the season. In conference play, the Bulldogs won 60-54 at Meridian, an early victory in a 10-game win streak.

The teams finished with identical MACCC records as Northwest, but the Rangers earned the three seed after the tiebreakers were settled.

Smith is a 5-11 sophomore forward who is averaging 17.3 points per game. Nataysia Willis (14.0 ppg) and Ashlynn Stephens (16.1 ppg) are the other double-digit scorers.

"(Smith) is just a really good, solid big," Adams said. "She finishes well around the rim and is a great rebounder. We want to run the floor. If we can get her in a track race, we'll put her at a disadvantage. We just can't get caught up in a half-court game with them."

NJCAA Region 23 Women's Basketball Tournament

March 5-13

First Round

Thursday, March 5

No. 8 Coahoma 50, No. 9 East Central 49

No. 5 Meridian 83, No. 12 Northeast Mississippi 44

No. 10 Copiah-Lincoln 67, No. 7 LSU Eunice 64

No. 6 Jones 77, No. 11 Holmes 55

Quarterfinals

Saturday, March 7

Coahoma at No. 1 Pearl River, 1 p.m.

Meridian at No. 4 Gulf Coast, 1 p.m.

Co-Lin at No. 2 Itawamba, 2 p.m.

Jones at No. 3 Northwest, 5:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Wednesday, March 11

At Poplarville (or highest seed remaining)

Finals

Friday, March 13

At Poplarville (or highest seed remaining)

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