Vicksburg High’s big men powered it to a big win Tuesday night.

Senior forwards Kirk Parker and Raheem Moore each had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and the Gators took care of business by beating West Point 65-47 in the first round of the Class 5A boys’ basketball tournament.

Moore also had four blocks for Vicksburg (19-9), which won a game in the state tournament for the first time since reaching the Class 5A championship game in 2014.

“We’ve been preparing for war in the time of peace, in the great words of Dellie C. Robinson,” said VHS interim coach Kelvin Carter, who has led the team since Robinson went down with an illness in January. “Now it’s time to go to war.”

The Gators will go on the road in the second round, but appear to have a favorable matchup. They’ll face Clarksdale (9-13), which made a surprising run to the Division 1-5A tournament championship last week.

“We just have to go play. If we bring the energy and effort that we brought today, we will be in good shape,” Carter said.

Vicksburg had beaten West Point (5-23) earlier in the season, and had little trouble doing it again when the stakes were higher. It held the Green Wave to six points in the first quarter, and then took control in the second.

Parker scored eight of his 14 points in the second quarter as the Gators opened up a 28-15 lead at halftime. The lead was 18 points heading into the fourth quarter, and West Point never threatened to get back in it.
Joe Thomas finished with 11 points for Vicksburg, Darius Johnson scored eight and Jermiyah Brown had six. Eleven players scored at least one point for the Gators.

West Point’s Austin Crowley, who scored 29 points when the teams played in December, had 21 Tuesday. Jashun Johnson scored eight.

STATE TOURNAMENT
Tuesday – First round
Vicksburg 65, West Point 47 (Class 5A boys)
Warren Central 57, Hernando 29 (Class 6A boys)
Warren Central 57, Hernando 29 (Class 6A girls)
Friday – Second round
6 p.m. – Warren Central at Olive Branch (Class 6A boys)
7 p.m. – Warren Central at Olive Branch (Class 6A boys)
Saturday – Second round
7 p.m. – Vicksburg at Clarksdale (Class 5A boys)