BILOXI — Monday, Kyler Yarbrough texted Meridian head coach Ron Norman, and the junior’s message was quite simple: Yarbrough told Norman he planned to win him Tuesday night’s game against Biloxi.

Yarbrough’s message proved prophetic, as he scored Meridian’s final four points to help lift Meridian to a 55-51 road win at Biloxi in the third round of the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs.

Meridian handed Biloxi just its second loss of the year, and in doing so, secured its spot in the MHSAA Class 6A semifinals Wednesday, March 6, at Jackson’s Mississippi Coliseum.

Yarbrough erupted for nine points in the fourth quarter and finished with 12.

After the game, Norman ran to Yarbrough and engulfed the player in an emotional embrace. As Yarbrough walked off the court to join his teammates in the locker room, Norman found a chair court side, sat down and cupped his face with his hands. He then wiped tears and sweat with his tie.

“I can’t be more proud of these kids,” Norman said. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m so proud of those guys coming in here and getting a win. (Biloxi) was ranked No. 1 in the state… I’m just proud of my kids. All credit to my kids. They battled, they believed in the game plan.”

Tuesday’s postseason contest pitted Meridian and Biloxi for the second time this season. In their first matchup, Biloxi (30-2) earned a 52-34 win on Nov. 3 in Meridian’s (25-4) season opener. As the season forged ahead, the Wildcats and Indians were set on a collision course, as Meridian had since rattled off 24 wins, while Biloxi added 29 wins of its own.

Round 2 of Meridian and Biloxi also pitted Norman against his old college roommate, Biloxi head coach Seber Windham.

“We started with them on Nov. 3, and they beat our head in,” Norman said. “We looked through the schedule, and we said, ‘If we do what we’re supposed to do, we might get them back in the state championship.’”

Through the first eight minutes Tuesday, Biloxi seized the opportunity of playing on its home court and jumped out to a 9-6 lead in a first quarter in which it never trailed.

Meridian’s Treamond Pittman tied the score at nine after a basket and the and-one attempt, but Biloxi’s Jordan Montgomery connected from 3-point territory to push the Indians ahead 15-12.

Jarvis Campbell scored Meridian’s next nine points courtesy of two 3-pointers, a field goal and a free throw to give the Wildcats an 18-15 lead with 4:53 left in the second quarter.

Campbell scored 12 second-quarter points and finished with 14.

The Wildcats led 26-24 at halftime.

KeEdrick Armstead scored a third-quarter-best four points as the Wildcats maintained their advantage throughout a third quarter where they led by as many as four points. Biloxi’s JaRonn Wilkens popped a jumper with 45 seconds remaining in the frame to tie the score at 33, but Pittman — who ended with 12 points — tallied a field goal and Campbell added a layup during the last 41 seconds to give Meridian a 36-33 lead at the end of the quarter.

Biloxi grabbed its first lead of the game since the second quarter when Jaryion Wilkens hit two free throws with 3:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Biloxi stretched its lead to five points at the 2:50 mark.

Meridian’s Vontrell Pringle trimmed the Wildcats’ deficit to three points after the senior made a basket while drawing a foul and hitting the and-one shot, and Yarbrough’s layup with 1:06 remaining brought Meridian within one point of tying the score at 49.

Trailing by three points with 1:01 left in the game, Pittman went vertical for a layup. His shot went in, and his Biloxi defender was called for a foul. Pittman sunk the and-one shot to tie the score at 51.

Meridian’s MaKeem Roberts forced a Biloxi turnover with 12 seconds left to play and heaved the ball to Yarbrough, who streaked toward Meridian’s goal. Yarbrough collected the pass and went in for the layup while drawing a foul. Yarbrough completed the three-point play with the and-one basket, and his free throw at the three-second mark clinched the win.

Meridian held Biloxi scoreless in the final minute.

“We’re predicated on defense,” Norman said. “… I’d like to say my kids play hard, and we guard people. And if we can hang our hat on doing something good like guarding, something good will happen. We didn’t make a lot of shots, but we guarded consistently tonight.”

After playing in the last two MHSAA Class 6A championship games, Norman and the Wildcats are one win away from playing in another. After replacing three starters from last year’s 32-win team, Norman said while this year’s team might not have the name recognition, it’s comprised of dedicated, determined players whose body of work speaks for itself.

“We lost Dandy Dozen, Dandy Dozen and Dandy Dozen,” Norman said. “Now we don’t have a handy dozen, just some blue-collar, hard-nosed kids. A couple JuCo kids, no D-Is, they just put their hard hat on and play hard.”

Meridian will play the winner of Thursday’s Murrah-Tupelo contest in next week’s 6A semifinal.