BOONEVILLE, Miss. (Interstat) — Mississippi Gulf Coast used a dominant first half and a disruptive defense to defeat Northeast Mississippi 88-67 in a men’s junior college basketball game Thursday night.

The visiting Bulldogs built a 53-28 halftime lead behind efficient shooting, connecting on 53.2% from the floor and 8 of 15 from three-point range. Their defense forced 24 Tigers turnovers, converting them into transition opportunities.

Ezekiel Udozorh led Northeast Mississippi with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Duran Parish directed Mississippi Gulf Coast with 10 points and seven assists. The Bulldogs improved to 16-4, while the Tigers fell to 10-10.