Sha’Kayla Caples didn’t miss many baskets Tuesday night against Hazlehurst, but one of the ones she did could’ve tied up the contest.

Caples’ miss on a 5-foot, turnaround jumper, with 8.6 seconds left kept the visiting Lady Indians in the lead at 62-60. Mechelle Harris then intercepted a WC pass intended for Lady Vikes point guard Karnina Bunch with 2.8 seconds left to preserve the Lady Indians’ win.

Hazlehurst coach Mike Specks was almost as entertaining as the game. He became quite animated after his best player, forward Kia Funchess, fouled out with 4:08 left.

“We have her with three fouls. She has no more than four,” he shouted to the official scorers.

“I don’t think we’ll be coming back,” he muttered later.

Afterward, he had calmed down and was gracious for the opportunity to play Donny Fuller’s Lady Vikes.

“Donny Fuller is one of the greatest basketball coaches in the state and I know he has been very helpful to me in my career,” said Specks, who is in his first year at Hazlehurst after a stint with Richland. “If we can beat a team like Warren Central, I think we’ll be able to hang with the likes of Raymond and South Pike. We just made one more play than WC did.

“When Caples went for that turn-around, I thought, ‘She has to miss something.’ She is tremendous,” Specks said.

Fuller felt the more prepared team won.

“Mike had his kids prepared and give his kids credit. They were quick, athletic and they played the passing lanes well,” Fuller said. “What our girls need to understand is that we have a chance to be a pretty good basketball team. We’re going to look a lot better at the end of the year than we do right now. Of course, we’ve got Caples and Bunch back, but only two other girls had enough time to even letter last year. The other nine are new.”

Caples certainly held up her end. She poured in 31 points. She also had 13 rebounds and four blocks. Ricille Davis, one of the new players, sparked WC’s comeback from a 35-26 deficit in the third quarter. She scored eight of her 14 points to help WC (2-2) tie the game at 48 at the end of three quarters.

The lead switched hands three times early in the fourth, the last coming on a basket by Funchess that made it 52-51.

(B) Hazlehurst 67, WC 53

Antonio Harris and Fred Fuller scored 19 points apiece to lead Hazlehurst (2-1) past the Vikings Tuesday night.

The Vikings (1-3) trailed by 15 at the half, 31-16, but rallied to pull within four at 48-44 with 5:38 remaining.

Dino Harris keyed WC’s second half rally by scoring 14 of his 18 points. Jeremy Smith added 14 points. WC travels to play arch-rival Vicksburg on Saturday.

(B) Vicksburg 78, MC 69

Jonathan Phelps scored a game-high 31 points and Jaybri Williams and Mychal Ammons scored 12 apiece as the Gators remained perfect at 5-0.

VHS held a 37-30 lead at halftime.

(G) Vicksburg 52, MC 50

Kamiko Martin scored a game-high 15 points and Vicksburg rallied from a one-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter to improve to 3-2 on the year.

(B) Loyd Star 91, St. Al 54

Loyd Star led 22-4 at the end of the first quarter and 41-18 at the half to cruise past the St. Aloysius Flashes (0-2).

Duffy Lowell scored a game-high 20 points and Alex Lanier netted 19 for the Flashes.

(G) Loyd Star 48, St. Al 23

The Lady Flashes (0-2) got 11 points from Elizabeth Mazzanti, but the team trailed 22-2 at the end of the first quarter at Loyd Star.