[11/14/02]If the young Ridgeland team did their homework, they would have known that when the Vicksburg team takes the court, the double deuce is bound to break loose.

The Missy Gators (1-0) used their smothering 22-action defense to collect 12 first-half turnovers while holding the Lady Titans (0-4) scoreless three minutes into the game in a one-sided 61-29 win in the Coca-Cola Classic.

The Missy Gators will face No. 13 Provine, which beat Port Gibson 85-63, in the second round today at 7 p.m. at VHS.

“We panicked,” Lady Titans coach Wade Hawkins said. “It takes us until the first quarter to get on a level playing field with the other team.”

The Missy Gators weren’t giving any quarter and attacked from the onset.

Shalonda Williams scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the first half and collected six rebounds, while Tricia Dart scored 14 points with seven rebounds.

The efficient tandem of Williams and Dart received plenty of help from their supporting cast, wearing down the Lady Titans with a long-armed defense and steady reinforcements from their bench, led by Sebrina Sanders’ five points and four rebounds.

“The win felt good. It’s the first time since I’ve been the coach that we have opened the season with a win,” Missy Gators coach Mike Coleman said. “It’s a good game to start with.”

(B) VHS 69, Ridgeland 30

Thundering alley-oops, rainbow three-pointers and a ferocious defense were just a few of the points Ridgeland (0-3) had to bear witness to in their first year of basketball.

Unfortunately for the Titans, they had to endure plenty of it as the Gators (1-0) coasted to a win in the first round of the Coca-Cola Classic on Wednesday.

“We could have played better defense,” Gators coach Dellie Robinson said. “We ran the floor good, but we didn’t execute the press as well as we could have.”

A scary thought for Provine, which will face the Gators in second round tonight at 8:30. Provine beat Port Gibson, 88-68.

The Gators’ offensive onslaught was led by Sedrick Williams’ 16 points. He began the game with two three-pointers and had three on the night, and L.J. Scott had 12 points and seven rebounds.

The Gators, leading 40-20 at the half, used their defense to start a 10-0 run early in the third quarter that featured two dunks, one being an alley-oop dunk by Cedric Parson. Ridgeland managed five points in the quarter.