WC stomps defending state champ Hancock

LYMAN – Hancock’s season wasn’t supposed to end like this.

But it did end Saturday as the defending Class 5A State champs were eliminated with a 63-40 loss to Warren Central in the consolation game of the South State Tournament on the campus of Harrison Central.

Warren Central will join 5A South State champion Harrison Central and runner-up Moss Point in Jackson next week for the 5A State Tournament. The Lady Vikes will play Clinton in the first round on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

“This is not the way we wanted it to end,” said Hancock’s Erica Moran, who spent most of the game in foul trouble. “I think the pressure got to us. We had hoped to be able to light the fire one last time, but it didn’t happen.”

Hancock (25-10) saw Warren Central jump out to a quick 11-4 lead behind seven points by center Cookie Johnson. Johnson scored the Lady Vikes’ first seven points, all during the opening 1:27 of the game.

But the Lady Hawks, under the leadership of Ashley Boehnel, regrouped and went on a 8-0 run to take a 12-11 lead with 1:55 left in the first. During the run, Boehnel scored on a short jumper, two free throws and an easy basket off an inbounds pass.

Warren Central, which lost last season in the state tournament to Hancock, grabbed a 15-14 lead after one quarter on a short jumper by Kaci Harris.

Boehnel, headed for Southern Miss next season, hit two free throws to give the Lady Hawks an 18-16 lead with 5:52 left in the half.

It was Hancock’s final lead of the game.

The Lady Vikes scored the final six points of the quarter, including four by Johnson, to take a 26-20 lead into the dressing room. Johnson led all scorers with 15 first-half points.

“It all started (Friday) in the first round (against Moss Point),”

Hancock coach Pam Slayton said. “If you take care of business then, you move on. We had a let down. It’s frustrating.”

Warren Central put the game away with an 11-4 run to open the third for a 37-24 lead. The Lady Hawks trimmed the lead to 39-29 after the third on a 3-pointer by Sarah Fricke, but the fourth quarter was all Warren Central.

Following another 11-4 run, the Lady Vikes led 50-33 with 4:41 left.

Boehnel finished with 12 points, while Christine Singleton chipped in 11.

“I’m proud of them,” Slayton said. “I enjoyed coaching but ending the season in a Harrison Central locker room isn’t how I saw the season ending. But you can’t stink it up on Friday like we did. Still, we won 25 games and lost five seniors off the state championship team. That is an accomplishment.”

In the South state title game, Harrison Central (21-5) snapped Moss Point’s 18-game winning streak with a 75-42 pounding as Shanea Cotton scored 30 points. LaDerica Campbell led the Lady Tigers (22-7) with 10 points.

Moss Point KOs Gators with late run

By Doug Barber, The Sun Herald

BILOXI – Cinderella’s glass slipper was shattered Saturday night.

Moss Point overpowered Vicksburg High down the stretch, using a game-ending 8-4 run to beat the Gators 73-69 and deny them a spot in the Class 5A state tournament.

Instead, it’s Moss Point (14-12) who earned the No. 3 seed from the South State tournament.

“We just made too many mistakes,” Vicksburg coach Dellie C. Robinson said. “We had two turnovers when we were leading and when we were down one or two. We just didn’t execute down the stretch and we missed a few free throws.”

The game was tied five times, the last at 65-all. Moss Point took the lead on a tip-in and never trailed again.

Vicksburg’s last lead came at 61-60. Sedrick Williams had given the Gators the lead at 56-55 with a free throw with 7:03 left in the game and the Gators pushed the lead to 61-57 on Fred Thomas’ trey. But Gabriel Ball hit back-to-back treys as Moss Point reclaimed the lead.

David Booker scored 20 points for Moss Point. Gabriel Bell had 14, including four 3-pointers. Willie Pritchett added 10.

Edwin Gaskin paced Vicksburg (17-18) with 21 points. Sederick Williams and Thomas had 15 points apiece while Brandon Harper chipped in 14.

In the South State championship game, Picayune finished the game with an 8-0 run to upset host Biloxi 49-45.

Guiako Vianney’s layup with 1:49 left in the game put the Tide ahead to stay, then he scored 16 seconds later on a steal.

It was Picayune’s 20th win in a row. The Tide (31-3) will get a bye in the state tournament and will play again on March 9.