The dunk by Tyron Brewer with 32 seconds left in the game was an exclamation point for the Meridian High School boys team — not that one was needed outside the final score.

The Wildcats opened the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs Tuesday night with a dominating 82-39 win against Ocean Springs High School, with Meridian limiting the Greyhounds to 24 points in the final three quarters of play.

Brewer, a backup, slammed the ball in the net at the end of the game, igniting the home crowd, and he watched as teammates Tayonta Jones and Tyler Bolden also hit field goals before time expired to give Meridian the dominating win.

Meridian head coach Randy Bolden said it was nice to see his bench get extended playing time in the fourth quarter, especially since they contributed to holding Ocean Springs to a single 3-pointer in the frame.

“Our bench came and played really well tonight,” Randy Bolden said. “They came with a lot of effort and energy, and I thought our crowd was electric tonight. I thought they really gave us that boost we needed, and the guys just fed off it.”

At first, it seemed like the game would be close. Meridian and Ocean Springs went back and forth in the first quarter to take a 15-15 tie into the second frame. The Greyhounds were aided by three 3-pointers in the frame, and Randy Bolden said he thought his players were somewhat uptight in the opening quarter.

“I thought we came out a little flat,” Randy Bolden said. “I don’t know if it was because of the magnitude of the game, a win-or-go-home game, but I thought we played a little uptight. We played with a lot of effort, and I tried to get them to loosen up and have fun, and I think they started to do that, and it picked up their defensive intensity. I think that was the difference in the game.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. Meridian played a full-court press for most of the game, giving Ocean Springs fits and forcing numerous turnovers. The difference began to make itself apparent in the second quarter, when Meridian was able to pull away and take a  40-29 lead into the break.

“We hadn’t been as effective as I’d like for us to be throughout the year, but I think they’re starting to understand the rotation and things of that nature,” Randy Bolden said. “We rotated really well tonight and kept pressure on them, and I think we turned them over pretty much the whole night.”

The second half saw Meridian pull away for good. The Wildcats held Ocean Springs to seven points in the third quarter while scoring 19, giving them a 59-36 lead going into the fourth.

BJ Miller led Meridian with 20 points, and Joel Baskin finished the game with 15 points. Miles Miller tallied nine points.

Meridian (25-6) will head to Forest Hill High School for a 7 p.m. game Saturday. Meridian played Forest Hill twice in the regular season, winning at home 62-43 and on the road 66-64.

“Both games were pretty tight, so we know we’ll be in for a dogfight,” Randy Bolden said. “We just have to get back to the drawing board and be ready to go into their place.”