No. 1 Lady WarDawgs, No. 2 War Dawgs have their way against Class 5A Gators

UTICA – The Hinds AHS Lady War Dawgs wasted little time in showing why they are the top-ranked team in Class 2A girls.

Coach Bruce Baker’s bunch scored the first 22 points in Tuesday night’s game against Vicksburg en route to a 69-51 thumping of the Class 5A Missy Gators.

&#8220We like to rip and run. We try to force an up-tempo (game) and get those easy baskets,” Baker said.

The Lady WarDawgs used the same plan in getting to the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson last year, advancing to the 2A semifinals before bowing out to Coahoma County.

&#8220We’re more mature and our game has matured,” said senior forward Jerrica Thomas, who made the Missy Gators feel as if there were five versions of her white No. 11 on the floor.

&#8220She’s always that way. All over the place,” senior guard Sondra Moncure added.

In the 22-0 opening run, Thomas swiped four steals, had four assists and also scored eight points to ignite Hinds’ start.

Vicksburg, meanwhile, had 11 turnovers and took just four shots in its six-minute nightmare. Taylor Ammons finally got a basket to drop and Kamiko Martin had a 3-pointer to make it 26-7 by the end of the first quarter.

The Missy Gators (15-10) played Hinds on even terms in the second quarter getting seven points from Ammons while Tiffany Williams made all six of her free throw attemtps. But Vicksburg still trailed by 20, 45-25, at the half.

The start of the second half went better for Vicksburg. They hit three of their first four shots to close within 45-31. Hinds was also in foul trouble with starters Mercedes Williams and Tanesha Clark on the bench with four each.

Then Ammons, the Missy Gators’ starting center, went down with a knee injury, the second such injury to a VHS player in the last 10 days.

&#8220They were already without (Rachel) Jenkins and she’s a big-plus player for them and then Ammons goes out. With her gone, it opened up the middle of their defense for us,” Baker said.

Hinds went on an 11-0 run to go up 25 and seal the game.

Thomas finished with 18 points, nine steals, five assists and four rebounds for the Lady War Dawgs. Iyuanna Brown had 17 points while Moncure had 16 and four rebounds.

Williams led Vicksburg with 16 points which included an impressive 12-of-13 showing at the free throw line. The Missy Gators were a solid 22-of-27 from the line but they also committed 26 turnovers and made just 14 field goals.

(B) Hinds AHS 73, VHS 53

No Jonathan Phelps meant a hard night for the Gators and an easy one for the second-ranked War Dawgs.

Hinds point guard JaCorey Wright fired in a career-high 26 points to lead the War Dawgs (25-4) past the Phelps-less Gators (16-10).

VHS coach Dellie C. Robinson said Phelps, who averages 30 points a game for the Gators, was serving a one-game suspension.

&#8220It was a discipline matter and it was for one game. He’ll be back. Ain’t no doubt we’ve got to have him out there,” Robinson said.

Wright scored 19 of his points in the first 12 minutes as Hinds went up 35-15. But the Gators rallied with a 15-0 run to close to within 35-30.

A 3-pointer by Wright followed by an alley-oop dunk by Kenderek Washington stopped the Gators momentum in the third quarter and turned the game into a rout.

Washington and Keeslee Stewart each had 14 points for Hinds.

VHS eighth-grader Mychal Ammons had 10 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high 12. Dekores Branch scored 11.

(G) Franklin 55, PCA 52

Shelby Wells scored a game-high 25 points and Porters Chapel nearly overcame a daunting deficit against Franklin Academy on Tuesday night.

The Lady Eagles trailed 42-28 going into the fourth quarter before using a 24-point burst in the final frame to nearly track down Franklin.

(G) Jim Hill 57, WC 48

Three days after defeating Vicksburg and locking up the Division 3-5A regular season championship, the Lady Vikes suffered a letdown against Jim Hill.

Sha’Kayla Caples scored a team-high 26 points – the only Lady Vike in double figures. NeAisha Anderson scored a game-high 33 points and Brigit Taylor netted 17 in the victory.

(G) St. Aloysius 61, Salem 52

St. Aloysius outscored Salem 11-2 in overtime to capture a key Division 7-1A victory on Tuesday.

Sarah Kerut scored a team-high 26 points and snagged 13 rebounds, while Bonney Neill scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.