FLOWOOD — To slow down a high-scoring Brookhaven team, the Vicksburg Gators slowed the game to a glacial pace.

It worked, too. Brookhaven, which averages 76 points per game, posted its lowest point total of the season. Unfortunately, the Panthers pushed the tempo just long enough to run away from the Gators.

Shon Blackwell scored nine of his 13 points during a key run in the third quarter, and Brookhaven used another run early in the fourth to beat Vicksburg 58-44 Monday at the Northwest Rankin Holiday Tournament.

Vicksburg (6-5) only trailed by one point at halftime, but went more than four minutes without scoring in the third quarter as Brookhaven (10-0) pulled away.

“I think we ran out of gas,” said Vicksburg coach Dellie C. Robinson, who was missing several reserves because of family obligations during the holidays. “I didn’t have a sub for Raheam (Moore). I didn’t have a sub for Joe (Thomas). They had to play the entire game, and we couldn’t find a spot to rest them because we never felt comfortable when we were still in the ballgame.”

Vicksburg lost its second consecutive game, and will have another tough assignment today when it plays New Hope (9-1) in its final game of the post-Christmas tournament.

“New Hope is just as good as (Brookhaven), if not better, so we’ve got our hands full tomorrow, too,” Robinson said.

Damarius Brooks led Brookhaven with 15 points and Lazorian McNulty scored 12. K.J. Murphy had 15 points for Vicksburg, Thomas scored eight and Moore seven.

The Gators held Brookhaven to 18 points in the first half, and became the first opponent this season to keep it under 60 in a game. They worked the ball around on offense and forced the Panthers into a halfcourt game and bad shots for 2 ½ quarters.

Eventually, though, the Gators faltered as their shots stopped falling. After getting within two points, at 21-19 with about five minutes left in the third quarter, they didn’t score again until Murphy drained a 3-pointer with a minute to go.

In between, Blackwell hit a 3-pointer and three other baskets, and McNulty dropped in a driving layup to put Brookhaven ahead 35-26 at the end of the third quarter.

The teams exchanged 3-pointers at the start of the fourth quarter, then two fast break baskets by the Panthers pushed the lead back to double digits. An 8-0 run by the Gators got them as close as seven points midway through the period, but Brookhaven answered with a 12-2 run to turn the game into a blowout.

“They’re so athletic and quick. All of them can run. They’re a tough team to defend,” Robinson said of Brookhaven. “We moved the ball real well, but we can’t make shots. That’s something we’ve been having a hard time with. That team has been scoring 80 or 90 points, and to give up 58 I thought defensively we did a good job. On offense, we’ve got to get better.”

 

(G) Terry 65, Vicksburg 41

Tekayla Tassin hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter and finished with 22 points to lead Terry (10-4) past Vicksburg (7-6) at the Northwest Rankin Holiday Tournament.

Vicksburg played well in a number of areas, but couldn’t keep up with Tassin and her Terry teammates from long range. The Missy Gators made 8 of 11 free throws, were 14-for-32 (43.8 percent) on shots inside the 3-point arc, only committed 10 turnovers and had 14 steals as a team. They were, however, just 1-of-19 on 3-point attempts.

That poor outside shooting, and Tassin’s hot hand, helped Terry extend a two-point lead early in the third quarter to double digits by the end of the period. Terry then outscored Vicksburg 23-10 in the fourth quarter to salt away the victory.

It was the second time this season that Terry has beaten the Missy Gators. It won the first meeting, 60-45, on Nov. 12.

“Those 3s turned the game around. And our shots just weren’t hitting,” Vicksburg coach Barbara Hartzog said. “Defensively, I think we played a good first half. We’ve got to play the whole game. We played better this time than the last time we played them.”

Dominique Jackson added 23 points for Terry. Karry Callahan led Vicksburg with 15 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots, while Keiyana Gaskin finished with eight points, five rebounds and five steals.

The Missy Gators lost their third consecutive game, but Hartzog said she was happy with this effort against a good team.

“I think it was a good game for us to get some work in. It’s not always, ‘Losses are bad,’” Hartzog said. “We could have played somebody weaker, but what would we have gotten out of that? We need games that we can come away with something. It might not be a win. That’s the way I look at it. A record is nothing.”

The Missy Gators will play tournament host Northwest Rankin Tuesday at 5 p.m.