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TERRY — When it comes to the MHSAA State Basketball Tournament, it’s all about surviving and advancing.

The phrase has new meaning for Terry, which pulled one out at the end in the first round Tuesday night against Meridian.

Malik Daniels got a huge steal and DaCory Porter hit a pair of free throws to put the Bulldogs ahead of the Wildcats 32-31 with 5.9 seconds left, and Meridian's potential game-winning shot bounced off the rim.

Terry (19-8) will travel to Biloxi in the second round of the MHSAA Boys Class 6A Playoffs Saturday night.

“I knew we had to get a stop, and Malik Daniels got the steal, made a great pass and I got fouled and had to make those free throws,” Porter said. “We shoot free throws for 10 minutes in practice every day and that was why.”

It was a low-scoring defensive game, and Meridian led for most of the night.

The Wildcats held a slim 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, 20-14 at halftime and then 25-21 at the end of the third quarter.

To begin the fourth quarter, Terry went on a quick 7-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 28-25 with 6:06 left.

Meridian then went on a 6-0 midway through the fourth to regain the lead at 31-28.

With 17 seconds left in the game, Meridian turned the ball over out of bounds. Terry drove down and missed a shot and Meridian got the rebound. That's when Daniels stole the pass that set up the final sequence.

“It was crazy, but that’s what you expect from Meridian," Terry coach Perry Fletcher said. "They are so well-coached and athletic, and they get after it. JaCory is one of the best players I’ve coached and has been a leader for us all year, so we expected that from him with the game on the line. We knew coming in we had to neutralize Powe and not let him get going, and we did that tonight and get to move on. This was a great high school basketball playoff game. Every possession mattered.”

Porter finished with 10 points to lead Terry.

De’Marcus Powe had a game-high 11 points to lead Meridian. The Wildcats finish the year 19-6.

“All credit to Terry. They responded well after we played them earlier in the year, they stepped up and great defensive strategies,” said Meridian coach Ron Norman. “We had opportunity’s down the stretch and shots wouldn’t fall.”

Feature photo by Brandon Shields