VHS falls to Lanier in first round of division tournament
Published 9:35 am Wednesday, February 15, 2017
The Vicksburg Missy Gators entered the Division 4-5A tournament with the idea that they needed to win one out of two games to keep the season alive. Now, they need to win one out of one.
Keshuna Luckett scored 22 points and Jayla Alexander added 16 as top-seeded Lanier beat the Missy Gators 62-31 in a first-round division tournament game Tuesday at Neshoba Central.
Freshman forward Tiarra Jones led Vicksburg with nine points, and Pleasure King added eight.
Lanier (20-4) beat Vicksburg (4-20) for the ninth consecutive time, and for the 10th time in 11 meetings since they became division rivals in the 2013-14 season. Lanier advanced to the tournament championship game Friday night against Neshoba Central.
The Missy Gators, meanwhile, will have one more chance to extend their season and advance to the Class 5A state tournament when they face Ridgeland Friday at 4 p.m. in the third-place game.
Vicksburg has lost 11 consecutive games overall, and four of its last five meetings with Ridgeland (17-11), but both regular-season games against the Lady Titans this year were close. Ridgeland won 59-58 in January, and 47-43 on Feb. 2.
Ridgeland lost 62-52 to Neshoba Central in the first round of the division tournament on Monday.
Meanwhile, in the boys’ bracket, Vicksburg will face tournament host Neshoba Central for the championship on Friday night after Neshoba routed Lanier 74-32 in a first-round game on Tuesday.
Vicksburg (18-8) handed Neshoba (21-3) its only loss in the division this season when the Gators won 60-58 on their home floor on Jan. 27. Neshoba Central won 50-46 when the teams played at Neshoba on Jan. 13.
DIVISION 4-5A TOURNAMENT
At Neshoba Central
Friday – Girls
4 p.m. – Vicksburg vs. Ridgeland (consolation)
7 p.m. – Neshoba Cent. vs. Lanier (championship)
Friday – Boys
5:30 p.m. – Lanier vs. Ridgeland (consolation)
8:30 p.m. – Vicksburg vs. Neshoba Central (championship)