For the past three weeks, Warren Central had the classic look of a team watching a once-promising season fade away.

The Lady Vikes battled injuries, inconsistency and a general slump coming down the stretch. They lost three consecutive games in which they failed to crack the 30-point mark.

With one last chance to salvage the season, however, they put all of that in the rearview mirror.

The Lady Vikes routed Clinton 55-35 in the third-place game of the Division 4-6A tournament on Friday to advance to the Class 6A tournament for the first time since 2012. It wasn’t just a season-saving win, it was a shot of adrenaline to a flat-lining team. All of a sudden, Warren Central (18-11) is heading into the playoffs as a dangerous and even confident No. 3 seed instead of a team ready to get the season over with.

“You can go in that next game off of that type of win knowing now that they can do it. And when you go to the next game feeling you can do it I think you can go out there with the same attitude, the same confidence. Hopefully this is a confidence-builder for the next game, and then the next team we catch them sleeping,” Warren Central coach Jackie Martin-Glass.

The Lady Vikes will begin their state tournament run on the road Monday night at 7 p.m. against Callaway (19-9). It’s the first meeting between the teams since December 2013, when most of WC’s current players were in eighth grade.

Warren Central has no seniors on its roster, and only one junior. While they’re looking to do some damage in the bracket this time around, getting some state tournament experience is also something they feel will benefit them as they hopefully develop into title contenders in the next two years.

“That’s helping us a lot. We’re just trying to build onto what we’ve got. We’ve got the same team next year, and the mistakes that we’re making now we’re trying to stop. We’re trying to work with what we’ve got and keep going,” sophomore guard Cocoa Fultz said.

In Friday’s division tournament win over Clinton, the Lady Vikes more closely resembled the team that won 12 of its first 16 games rather than the one that slumped to a 6-6 record after New Year’s.

The Lady Vikes shot 52 percent from the field, had 19 steals and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds. Sophomore center Amber Gaston blocked six shots. They seized control with an 18-1 run in the first quarter and never let the lead slip below double digits after that.

Martin-Glass said the impressive win was partially based on a good matchup and gameplan, but also from having all of her players available. Starters Te’Asia Sims and Dee Dee Caldwell battled injuries down the stretch, but both were healthy for Friday’s game.

Sims had six points and three steals. Caldwell didn’t score, but provided some valuable minutes and defense.

“The last couple of games I’ve been missing Te’Asia, my point guard. Dee Dee has been hurt. So right now I have a full arsenal. If I can keep everybody healthy and out of trouble, I think going forward we can be a big challenge for somebody,” Martin-Glass said.

The first challenge is Callaway, which reached the Class 5A semifinals last season. The winner of that game will then face two-time defending Class 6A champion Horn Lake (25-3) on the road on Friday night.

Beating both and advancing to the Sweet 16 in Jackson would be a tall task for any team, but Martin-Glass feels like she has the squad to at least put up a good showing.

The Lady Vikes have eight players averaging at least four points per game, which is a sign of depth. If they can recapture the energy and success of the win over Clinton, they could be a dangerous sleeper as a No. 3 seed.

“I’ve been telling my girls all year that we have a lot of talent and we can go really deep,” Martin-Glass said after Friday’s win. “I’m not taking anything from other teams, but when you can go at least nine deep and not really lose play, that’s good. We just haven’t been showing up. Tonight we did.”