PORT GIBSON – Perhaps the best coaching move Kim Windom has done this season was convincing New Orleans native Josh Coleman not to go back to the &#8220Big Easy.”

The Hurricane Katrina evacuee scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had four steals to lift Port Gibson over St. Martin 70-49 and into Thursday’s South State tournament at Pass Christian.

Coleman was a student at John Ehret High School in Marrero when Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. He moved with his family to Port Gibson and walked on to the basketball team as a junior. He didn’t play much.

&#8220I guess coach (Windom) figured I wasn’t ready,” Coleman said.

Over the summer, instead of heading back to New Orleans, Coleman stuck around at the urging of Windom.

&#8220A lot of the guys I knew who were going back to New Orleans, and who were supposed to be seniors, were getting sent back a grade because all the school records had gotten lost in the storm,” Coleman said. &#8220Coach Windom pretty much convinced me I would be better off if I stayed. My work ethic improved and I’ve been starting ever since.”

And the Blue Waves have turned around from a single digit win total a year ago to now being two wins away from going to the Mississippi Coliseum.

&#8220I felt he was getting comfortable with his teammates and he would be better served if he continued on here. He didn’t play basketball at Ehret before he came here. I love that he’s still here,” Windom said.

St. Martin had a big hoss of its own in 6-foot-7 center Rob Sikes. Sikes had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the first half but was shut out in the second half as Coleman kept him in check.

With the game tied at 38, Coleman put the Blue Waves ahead to stay with a one-handed putback late in the third quarter. Then right before the quarter’s horn, he made an excellent kick out pass to an open Jammie Washington who buried a 3-pointer to give Port Gibson its biggest lead to that point at six, 47-41.

It was all Blue Waves in the fourth quarter. Coleman made all five of his field goal attempts, and started two fast breaks with steals after denying entry passes into Sikes.

In the four-minute run, Coleman had a dunk to hand the Blue Waves their first double-digit lead and then made it 57-41 with 5:08 left when he sank a 6-foot hook shot from his hip.

Washington finished with 16 points. After struggling with their shots in the first half, the Blue Waves made an even 50 percent (18-of-36) in the second half to knock the Yellow Jackets out.

Dartez Batey led St. Martin with 15 points and Deven Mathews had 13.

(G) PG 59, Stone County 52

The Lady Blues (21-11) are headed to the Class 4A South State Tournament in Brookhaven after knocking off the Lady Tomcats in Wiggins Monday night.

Coach Harold Liggans’ team will play Pass Christian Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in a quarterfinal elimination game.

&#8220We’ve played in a very tough district with Brookhaven, McComb and Mendenhall. Brookhaven’s beaten us three times but they have a big front line starting at 6-3, 6-1 and 6-foot. We’ve split with McComb and we’ve beaten Mendenhall all three times,” Liggans said.

All four of the Division 6-4A teams advanced to the South State Tournament.

PG was led by Regena Grisby who had 18 points against Stone County. Lillie Porter and Nakia Dotson combined for 27 points.

&#8220I’m pretty young. I start a seventh grader and two 10th graders. Dotson has only been available for eight games and then I have three 11th graders I bring off the bench,” Liggans said.