Two disputed referees’ calls late in the game helped set up Jim Hill’s Ember Cooper with a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer Friday night at Vicksburg High.

Cooper drained a trey from the corner to give the visiting Tigers a dramatic 52-49 win.

It was the second odd win in Vicksburg for coach Fred Harris’ Tigers. They won back in early December at Warren Central when the Vikings called a timeout when they had none to take.

This time, it was two bizarre calls that had VHS coach Dellie C. Robinson irate afterward.

&#8220Two bad calls at the end. Two bad calls beat us,” Robinson said.

The first call came with 1 minute, 3 seconds left. The game was tied at 49-all and the Gators (11-11) had the ball at midcourt, looking at a chance to hold for a final shot.

Instead, forward Tony Ammons was called for an off the ball pushing foul.

&#8220Terrible call. The boy just fell down while Tony was coming off the ball,” Robinson said.

While just the fifth foul on the Gators in the half, the call gave Jim Hill (7-12) a chance to go for the last shot. The Tigers held it to 12 seconds before the Gators were called for a grab, their sixth foul.

On the inbound pass, Cooper was short on a mid-range jumper but the rebound came hard off the court, resulting in the ball getting tapped back toward the timeline. Tristan McGowan recovered but then appeared to lose it to Vicksburg’s John Qualls.

But one referee said Jim Hill had called a timeout.

&#8220How can you call timeout when the kid doesn’t even have possession of the ball?” said a fuming Robinson.

Harris said he called the timeout from the bench.

&#8220I called timeout. It was close, but I called it before the steal,” said Harris, a member of Vicksburg’s 1980 state championship basketball team.

The Tigers got the ball and on the inbound, found Cooper in the corner. Against two converging Gators, Cooper got off his shot which swished through the hoop as the horn sounded.

&#8220We don’t have too many options with two seconds left, but he at least got it up and hit a lucky shot,” Harris said.

The loss spoiled one of the better efforts of the season for the Gators.

&#8220We played real hard and we were more patient on offense,” Robinson said. &#8220We just dribbled too much against their press.”

Brandon Harper had 21 points to lead Vicksburg. He scored 14 in the first half to stake the Gators to a 26-20 halftime lead.

Tony Ammons had 14 points, including a follow-up that made it 37-29 midway through the third quarter.

Cooper finished with 21 and McGowan had 20 for the Tigers.

(G) Jim Hill 61, Vicksburg 51.

The Missy Gators were able to cut a 20-point third-quarter deficit to 10 at the end, but it still left them with their 12th loss.

Brigit Taylor tossed in 25 points to pace Jim Hill (14-9) to the win. Nicketha Williams had 11 and Ne’Aisha Anderson 10.

The Missy Gators (10-12) got 14 points from Taylor Ammons, 13 from Rachel Jenkins and 10 from Kristin Ellis.