On the day after Valentine’s, the girl Warren Central calls Smooch kissed the Vicksburg Missy Gators goodbye.

Shondalyn Rogers came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points – most coming when leading scorers Cookie Johnson and Carla Latham were on the bench with foul trouble – in a 65-49 victory in the opening round of the Division 6-5A Tournament.

WC will play Natchez for the championship on Friday at 6 p.m.

“The difference was Shondalyn Rogers, bottom line,” Vicksburg (14-17) coach Mike Coleman said. “She played a fantastic game and is definitely a (Division I) player.

“She’s got a jump shot that looks like a boy’s, and you can’t defend it. She’s awesome.”

Rogers, who moved back to Vicksburg from North Carolina before the season started, signed with the University of New Orleans along with Johnson. She scored 11 of her 20 points in a third quarter that saw Warren Central break open a close game.

“We knew she was going to get hers,” VHS’ Rachel Jenkins said. “If she gets it, she’s gonna shoot it.”

WC led 36-31 at halftime, but used a 15-5 spurt in the third to increase the lead to 20 going into the fourth quarter.

“We had to pull together as a team and realize that we only had one chance,” Rogers said. “It’s either now or never.”

Early in the fourth quarter, after Johnson picked up her fourth foul, Vicksburg made a run. Cre’Tarsha Taylor nailed two 3-pointers and Kristin Ellis hit a layup as the Missy Gators sliced the deficit to nine midway through the fourth.

But Brittany Banks responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to increase the lead back to double digits and Warren Central (21-7) milked the clock down the stretch.

“We hit some big threes early on, then we started missing them,” said WC coach Donny Fuller, who is trying to lead his team to its third straight division championship. “After those last two, I said not to shoot any more. We did a good job after that spreading the floor.”

Warren Central ran almost 2 1/2 minutes off the clock late in the fourth quarter and Saleda Montgomery hit two free throws late for the Lady Vikes.

“Warren Central’s got such a good team and so much experience,” Coleman said. “Sometimes when you get talent and experience, it’s hard to beat.”

(G) St. Al 46, Pelahatchie 43

Sarah Kerut scored 21 points, Laura Weeks netted 14 and Sara Burrell scored 10 as the Lady Flashes (12-14) advanced through the first round of the Division 7-1A Tournament at West Lincoln.

The Lady Flashes are scheduled to play top-seeded West Lincoln on Thursday night at 7.

No matter the outcome of that game, St. Aloysius has advanced out of the division and will play a state tournament game.

St. Al 46, Pelahatchie 42

Chase Smith scored a team-high 17 points and J.R. Burnett netted 10 as the Flashes (6-20) held off Pelahatchie. The victory moves the Flashes into the second round of the Division 7-1A Tournament against top-seeded West Lincoln, the tournament hosts, Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

Like the girls, the boys’ team advanced to the Class 1A state tournament with the win and will be no lower than a No. 4 seed.