Charlette Taylor, right, of Vicksburg High battles for a loose ball with WC’s Kim Smith and Debraka Smith, left. (The Vicksburg Post/PAT SHANNAHAN)

Lia Green led three Warren Central players in double figures with 14 points as the Lady Vikes used a red-hot second quarter to down archrival Vicksburg, 53-42.

JaQuita Benard and Wanda Calvin each added 10 points and Green, a University of Alabama-Birmingham signee, grabbed 10 rebounds, but the Lady Vikes managed just six points in the first quarter and trailed Vicksburg, 11-6.

But with Missy Gators’ leading scorer Shalonda Williams and their only post player, Rae Evans, on the bench with foul trouble, the Lady Vikes exploded for 23 second-quarter points using a relentless pressure defense. The Lady Vikes’ run was highlighted by a LaShanda Williams 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“We went to the press and were able to get some things out of it,” Warren Central coach Donny Fuller said. “We felt like when Shalonda (Williams) went to the bench, it improved our opportunity to press. I thought early on we were letting them set the tempo and we needed to play a more up-tempo game.”

LaToya Trunell led Vicksburg with 13 points and Williams added 11, nine in the second half. Evans grabbed 11 rebounds.

Vicksburg played the hosts about even in the second half, but never could get to within fewer than six points.

“I didn’t think we played bad at all, but right now, they just have a little more experience than we do,” Vicksburg coach Mike Coleman said. “We just got beat by a good team.”

WC emptied its bench late in the fourth quarter with a 52-36 lead and Vicksburg ended the game on a 6-1 run.