Warren Central coach Donny Fuller reacts after his team took a lead against Forest Hill Friday. The Lady Vikes, who won the Division 6-5A Tournament, will host Ocean Springs tonight at 7 p.m. (Jenny SevcikThe Vicksburg Post)

[2/23/04]Warren Central coach Donny Fuller took Sunday off to give his Amateur Athletic Union team a chance to see how basketball is really played.

The veteran Lady Vikes coach, who will lead his team into tonight’s South State satellite game against Ocean Springs, loaded the Warren County AAU team comprised mostly of his varsity squad and watched third-ranked Tennessee beat Ole Miss in Oxford.

“It’s good sometimes to let the kids see a big-time college atmosphere,” said Fuller, whose team is coming off a 48-46 win over Forest Hill for the Division 6-5A championship. “It’s good to let them see how basketball is played at that level.”

In Sunday’s game, Tennessee used a late defensive change to open a close game and turn it into a 16-point decision. Fuller expects Ocean Springs to change defenses quite often.

“They run out of a lot of sets,” said Fuller, who will be looking to get to the Coliseum for the first time since the 1995-96 season. “But it is nothing we haven’t faced before this season.”

Tipoff for tonight’s game is set for 7 p.m. and the winner advances to the South State Tournament starting Friday. In that two-day tournament, the top three teams advance to Jackson and the Class 5A State Tournament.

“We have to step it up another notch now,” said WC reserve guard Brittany Banks, who came off the bench to score 12 points in WC’s win on Friday. “Our shots have to start falling if we want to win.”

Ocean Springs lost to Moss Point in the Division 7-5A championship on Friday night, but beat Pascagoula in the semifinals to advance out of division.

In the Pascagoula win, Kashay Johnson scored a game-high 16 points in the 50-46 decision.

“They have a lot of athletic players,” said Fuller, who added he began scouting the Lady Greyhounds soon after Friday night’s game ended. “They have a big kid down low which creates matchup problems, and they shoot the ball well.

“They are a good team. You don’t get out of district if you’re not.”

Warren Central practiced Saturday and Fuller said Cookie Johnson would be ready to go tonight.

The standout junior injured her ankle in practice Thursday, but played Friday night anyway. She scored only four points in limited action.

“She’s feeling a lot better,” Fuller said. “I think she’d have to have her leg cut off to not play.”

On Tuesday, Warren Central’s boys will host Moss Point in the South State satellite game.

WC beat Natchez for the Division 6-5A championship on Friday.