A lot of basketball teams that have to rely heavily on the contributions of a freshman point guard and an eighth-grade forward would be concerned going into a divisional tournament.

Vicksburg isn’t going into tonight’s Division 3-6A tournament opener against Warren Central in Clinton.

Freshman Ama Arkoful and eighth-grader Karry Callahan have given the Missy Gators (12-12, 3-3) a big boost in their varsity debuts.

“We’ve had our times, our ups and downs,” Vicksburg coach Barbara Hartzog said. “It’s been a learning year. They’re coming on strong at the end and that’s what’s important. Karry helps Ama because they know each other so well and they feed off each other. It works down to the other players and everybody is feeding off each other.”

But one half of that duo will be sidelined, at least for a game.

Callahan will likely sit tonight’s game with a knee injury sustained in the regular-season finale last week against Brandon. Hartzog said that her young forward will have a chance to play in Friday’s championship game.

Arkoful made her varsity debut at the beginning of the season and after adjusting to the level of competition, she’s caught fire. In nine of the last 11 games, she has scored 20 points or more to lead the Missy Gators to an 8-3 record in that span.

“It was really tough at first because it’s such a fast pace,” Arkoful said.

Her multi-faceted game makes her tough to cover. Give her space and she’ll use her pull-up game to hurt opponents off the dribble. Play her tightly and her quickness and tenacity driving to the hoop allows her to create shots for herself or her teammates.

She’s also grasping the concept of becoming a team leader as the team’s point guard, able to hurt opposing teams with her ability to drive and kick to the perimeter or feed the post effectively.

“She sees the whole floor,” Hartzog said. “She’s always looking inside for the post and she makes good passes. She can get herself open and she’s got every area covered. She’s just an all-around player. She makes her teammates look good. They’re (point guards) the coach on the floor and I’ve got to put it in her hands and she’s got to be able to handle it. Her teammates have to believe in her and they are. Now they see what she’s bringing to the team, she’s involving them and she’s working hard.”

Another factor helping Arkoful is that she is a classic gym rat. After practice five times a week, Arkoful heads home, eats supper and then head to the YMCA for more basketball.

As for Callahan, she’d practiced with the varsity all season and quickly showed she belonged. When the junior high season ended, she was a call-up and made her debut in a big division game against Clinton on Jan. 25. After letting Callahan watch in the first quarter to get a feel for the game, Hartzog sent her in and the eighth-grader didn’t feel any nervousness going into her first varsity game.

“I was just ready to go,” Callahan said.

Ready was an understatement, as Callahan pulled down 10 rebounds, blocked three shots and scored 15 points in a 54-44 win. In a win over Yazoo City on Tuesday, Callahan scored five points, but grabbed six rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end, and blocked three shots.

Callahan is the classic example of a high-energy player. She hits the boards with reckless abandon and plays defense with bulldog-like tenacity.

A lot of players shy away from dirty work like rebounding. Callahan loves it.

“When I see the ball in the air, I know it’s mine,” Callahan said. “I want it and I’m going to get it.”

While Arkoful makes the whole team run, Callahan’s impact has been on the rest of the post players, who are rebounding better in the two games since she moved up to varsity.

“We’re getting that from Karry and she’s bringing out the best in the other ones (posts),” Hartzog said. “In the past couple of games, the other posts are stepping out and hitting the boards as hard as Karry has. That’s putting a lot on an eighth-grader, but she’s bought into the system and she knows it. She brings us a lot of energy and the whole game changes.”

The best news is that there is likely more to come. Most of Hartzog’s roster is underclassmen and the group, led by Arkoful and Callahan’s infectious energy, has plenty of basketball left in it.

“They’re young, but if they stick together, they’re going to be strong,” Hartzog said.