JaQuita Benard (34) is all smiles as she celebrates with WC teammates Wendy Thomas, left, and LaShanda Williams. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[11/2/01]A pair of halftime adjustments by Warren Central secured its second straight Coca-Cola Classic against the third-ranked team in the state.

The Lady Vikes (4-0) got 20 points from Wanda Calvin and a 19-point, 16-rebound effort from JaQuita Benard to upend Provine, 75-63, Thursday night. WC also beat the Lady Rams in last year’s tournament.

“It feels good, but I think the gold would feel better,” WC senior point guard Wendy Thomas said, referring to the state championship trophy. Thomas hit her last six shots and finished with 13 points.

WC coach Donny Fuller said he changed defensive schemes to put Calvin on the Lady Rams’ best player, Keisha Carter.

Carter, who had 22 points, scored six in the second half, but four of those came within the final minute when WC had built a double-digit lead.

“Wanda did a great job shutting her down in the second half,” Fuller said.

The Lady Vikes also switched to a rotation offense to take advantage of Provine’s height advantage. WC outrebounded Provine 48-20 and took a one-point halftime deficit, starting the second half on a 12-3 run and a 47-39 lead.

Benard scored six in the third quarter and did not miss a shot in the second half. Thomas added seven in the third.

“They have an excellent team, but that size,” said Provine coach Barbara Hartzog, whose best player, Louisiana Tech-bound Tosha Christmas, is rehabbing a knee injury. “They played much more physical than we did. They outplayed us.”

The Lady Rams got a game-high 24 from Tonya Thomas 11 in the second half as the Lady Rams cut the lead to 50-44 at the end of the third quarter.

A quick 5-0 run by Provine cut the score to 50-49 less than a minute into the fourth quarter.

“The crazy coach got his starters back in the game,” Fuller said. “I ’bout oversubbed. I was trying to get our kids a breather at the end of the third quarter, but I got them back in and they did a great job.”

Over the next three minutes, Provine went scoreless as WC reeled off 12 straight points for a 62-51 lead with four minutes left.

Calvin’s hoop with 1:07 left gave WC a 75-59 lead its biggest of the game.

“We never let up and kept our heads in the game,” Thomas said. “We had to, or run in practice.”

Natchez 55, Vicksburg 48

The offensive woes plaguing the Missy Gators (1-3) continued in the third-place game.

Vicksburg shot 26 percent from the field and 40 percent from the free-throw line, but still had opportunities to win thanks to a tenacious defense.

“I’ve never been around this before,” said Vicksburg coach Mike Coleman, whose team was 14-of-35 from the free-throw line and 17-of-65 from the floor. “This is the fourth game in a row where we’ve shot about 30 percent. The second half was a disaster on the free throw line.”

LaToya Trunell led the Missy Gators with 14 points and three players had seven each.

On defense, VHS caused 29 Natchez (2-1) turnovers. Marguerite Sims and Tricia Dart had three steals each.

“We won’t beat any good teams like that,” Coleman said. “We won’t even beat some of the bad ones.”