GOODMAN, Miss. — The Hinds Community College Men's Basketball team opened postseason play with a 67-58 win over the Holmes Bulldogs in the first round of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament Thursday night at Frank Branch Coliseum. With the victory, Hinds advances to the quarterfinal round and will face the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Perkinston.

The two teams battled through a tightly contested first half that ended in a 31-31 tie. Holmes stayed within striking distance early in the second half, but Hinds used key defensive stops and timely scoring to build separation and secure the nine-point victory.

Daveon Henry led all scorers with 19 points and shot 50% from the floor. Freshman Terrance Clark finished the contest with 16 points, while Abubakar Cham was the other Bulldog to have double-digit scoring with (10). Austin Ratliff finished the night with a team high of 10 rebounds and tallied six points. 

Hinds finished the game shooting 33.3 percent from the field and knocked down six three-pointers while converting 16-of-27 free throws. The Bulldogs also controlled the glass with 39 total rebounds and took advantage of opportunities at the free throw line to maintain their lead late in the game.

Holmes shot 40 percent from the field and remained competitive throughout the night, but Hinds held advantages in several key areas, including bench scoring (23-5) and points in the paint (34-22).

Hinds will travel to Perkinston on Saturday to take on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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