[2/1/03]The Vicksburg Missy Gators put a bad week behind them with a win over Yazoo City Friday night.

Tiffany Hubbard scored 24 points and Tricia Dart added 15 as the Missy Gators (14-12) went into today’s showdown with archrival Warren Central by beating Yazoo City 63-52.

VHS had lost its last three, including an embarrassing 35-13 loss to Yazoo County in the Red Carpet Classic last Saturday. In that game, the Missy Gators hit only 5 of 30 shots and were shut out in the third quarter.

“After we lost three straight, we needed it. The kids played with a lot of emotion, and it showed in the results,” VHS coach Mike Coleman said. “Let’s hope it gives us a lot of momentum going into tomorrow’s game.”

Yazoo City’s Aryuana Houston scored 16 of her 22 points in the first half as the Lady Indians ralled from an early 22-6 deficit to cut it to 32-28 at halftime.

Coleman made a defensive adjustment to slow down Houston in the second half, however, and the Missy Gators were able to pull away.

“We went to a box-and-one on the Houston girl, because she was killing us in the first half,” Coleman said. “We put Tricia (Dart) on her and she only ended up with 22 points for the game.”

Arcola Scott added 11 points for VHS, and Shalonda Williams had nine. Alicia Edwards scored eight points for Yazoo City.

(B) VHS 78, Yazoo City 72

L.J. Scott topped Yazoo City’s Chris Jackson in a shooters’ duel as Vicksburg earned the win.

Scott finished with 35 points for VHS (19-7), while Jackson had 34 for Yazoo.

“They were just going back-and-forth,” VHS coach Dellie Robinson said.

Jackson hit two 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds to make it interesting, but the final six-point margin was the closest the Indians got in the second half.

“I didn’t think we played real good defense, but overall I thought it was a real good win for us,” Robinson said.

Devin Jones added 12 points for VHS and Roy Williams had 10.