PERKINSTON — An early Meridian scoring spurt put the Mississippi Gulf Coast men’s basketball team in a hole the Bulldogs could never get out of Thursday. Gulf Coast lost 77-61 at the Weathers-Wentzell Center.

Anthony Ratliff (So., Jackson/Terry) registered a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Carr Thiam (Fr., Tampa Fla./Wharton) added 17 points and five rebounds.

Gulf Coast (2-1, 1-1 MACCC South) scored the game’s first seven points, but the Eagles (1-1/1-1) scored 16 of the next 18 to take control.

The Bulldogs shot just 33.8 percent from the floor. It was worse behind the 3-point arc at 17.4 percent. They came into the night shooting 85.4 percent from the free-throw line after two games, but even that let them down as they made just 52 percent Thursday.

Meridian made 12 shots behind the arc to Gulf Coast’s four. The Bulldogs scored the first six points of the second half to get the deficit to 33-31, but never got any closer.

Gulf Coast hits the road Monday with a game at Copiah-Lincoln. Tipoff in Wesson is set for 6 p.m.

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