Warren County AAU’s Amanda Doyle (32) tries to keep control of the ball in front of a Brookhaven player during the Lady Vikes’ 42-23 win on Wednesday. WC will play in the State Games starting Friday. (Jon GiffinThe Vicksburg Post)

[6/24/04]Solid offense and an airtight defense helped Warren County AAU overcome a shaky first half and gave it a 42-23 win over Brookhaven Wednesday at Warren Central.

“We got after it tonight defensively,” WC coach Donny Fuller said. “They were patient on offense, but we forced them to commit a lot of turnovers, and we knew going in that we were a lot stronger in the paint and under the goal.”

WC was helped by Brookhaven’s 19 fouls, which had them on the line for the better part of the game.

The AAU team is made up of players who will be on WC’s varsity team this fall. The summer is used to prepare for the regular season and allow Fuller to have an early look at some of his team’s strengths and weaknesses.

“We have worked a lot on our press this summer,” said Fuller. “With the way we play in the summer, substituting in and out every five minutes, it’s hard to get any kind of continuity. I think we’ve done well though, considering.

“There are only two occasions in the summer when we play real basketball the AAU summer tournament and the State Games.”

The State Games begin Friday, and a big win like the one over Brookhaven will give WC much-needed momentum going into their opening games.

In pool play, AAU will play Noxubee County, Neshoba Central, and Northeast Lauderdale, all of which are expected to be tough competitors.

Warren County will be the only area team to play in the State Games. The Lady Vikes will open play on Friday at 11:15 a.m. against Noxubee County, then play Neshoba at 4:15 p.m.

Neshoba Central is coached by former St. Aloysius coach Noah Hamilton, whose team defeated WC two years ago in the regular season.

“We always look forward to the State Games,” Fuller said. “All the teams in our pool will be tough. Noxubee is always really good, and we’re kind of going at Neshoba Central and Northeast Lauderdale with a vengeance. We want to get back for some tough losses in the past.

“Last year, we made it to the championship game and lost. This year, I hope we can get there again and finish the job this time.”

WC will play as many as three games on Saturday, and if the team advances out of pool play, the semifinals will be Saturday night and the finals are set for Sunday.

The State Games will be the final games for WC before the summer league tournament, which will have at least one game played at WC.