NATCHEZ Talk about redemption.

Warren Central’s Dewayne Washington nearly cost the Vikings a chance to advance out of the division for the first time since 1993 with an ill-timed technical foul late in Tuesday’s opener with Clinton.

When his buzzer-beating fade-away jumper sent the game into overtime, all was forgiven.

Washington scored a game-high 34 points, including six in overtime, as the Vikings beat Clinton, 67-65, to earn a spot in the Division 4-5A championship game Friday night against rival Vicksburg.

“He is so talented, he has to be on the floor,” WC coach Preston Wilson said. “I’m hoping it’s something he’ll learn from, but those type of things can hurt you in a big game.”

The Vikings had watched a 10-point lead evaporate midway through the fourth quarter. With the game tied, Washington committed a foul, then got a technical with 3 minutes, 50 seconds to play.

Clinton, though, missed 3 of 4 free throws to keep it a one-point WC deficit, 49-48.

Washington stayed on the bench for about two minutes as the two teams battled evenly the rest of the game. With Clinton leading 58-56 with five seconds to play, WC inbounded the ball, drove the floor and point guard Ronnie Jones found Washington open on the wing. His 15-footer sent the game into overtime.

“I was off balance, but I knew it was good,” Washington said.

Clinging to a 66-65 lead in the final seconds of overtime, WC’s Brian Phelps converted one of two free throws and Clinton missed a 10-foot shot as the buzzer sounded, sending a long-struggling WC program into a guaranteed North State satellite game.

Vicksburg 38, Natchez 33

The Vicksburg Gators escaped a crushing blow and a much earlier than anticipated exit from the Division 4-5A Tournament.

The Gators got a game-high 18 points from Devin Jones, but needed clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to overcome host Natchez (8-17).

A pair of Jones free throws with 34 seconds left to play gave Vicksburg a 36-33 lead. Natchez’s Rodney Gray then missed the front end of a one-and-one and Cedric Parsons grabbed the rebound. He was fouled and stepped to the line and iced the game with a pair of free throws.