Strong fourth quarter lifts Biloxi over Meridian

Published 10:51 am Saturday, February 28, 2026

By Brandon Shields

POPLARVILLE — For a second year in a row Biloxi is headed back to the Mississippi Coliseum and for the second year in a Meridian came up short in the second round.

Behind a big fourth quarter the Indians got past the Wildcats 50-39 in the Second Round of the MHSAA Boys Class 7A Basketball playoffs at Pearl River Community College’s Marvin R. White Coliseum on Friday night.

Biloxi (23-6) will face Starkville on Tuesday night at the Mississippi Coliseum at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s always good to get a win against one of the greatest coaches in the state. Ron Norman is one of my best friends and I knew in my last year it was going to come down to me and him,” said Biloxi coach Seber Windham whose retiring at the end of the year after 29 years of coaching. “End of the day God has been really good to me and to go out with a chance to play Starkville in the Final Four is really special.”

It was a defensive first half that saw Meridian hold a 10-6 edge at the beginning of the first quarter and a 19-13 halftime lead.

The third quarter the Indians began the quarter on a 7-1 run to tie the game up at 20-20 and from that point each team kept trading baskets. The game was tied 35-35 heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter was all Biloxi. The Indians outscored the Wildcats 15-4 in the quarter highlighted by a 10-2 run to take a 45-37 lead with 2:53 left.

Kentrell Beasley had a game-high 17 points to lead Biloxi, while Carnellous Lenard added 16 points and Ryan Adelphin chipped in 11 points for the Indians.

“Everybody is talented in 7A, so if everybody is talented it comes down to will and heart and I thought my kids showed fight and grind,” Windham said. “This isn’t the most talented Biloxi team I’ve had, but if you just fight and stay together good things can happen.”

Joe Horne had 13 points to lead Meridian (19-9).

“All credit goes to my old college roommate and there’s not a more deserving person to be in his last year to go out at state tournament,” said Meridian coach Ron Norman. “Credit to his team they fought back and got after us in the fourth quarter with defensive pressure. I’m proud of my kids just didn’t have it tonight. It’s a process, but we will be back.”