The Vicksburg Gators took care of the Bulldogs. Now they get the Big Dog.

Kirk Parker scored 15 points, and Khris Walker and K.J. Murphy chipped in 10 apiece as the Gators easily defeated Terry 55-38 Saturday in the final game of the Red Carpet Classic.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Gators (11-7) — they hadn’t won in 2015 before Saturday — as they head into a pair of difficult division games this week.

The first of those is Tuesday night at home against All-America guard Malik Newman and three-time defending state champion Callaway. The Gators were routed 83-61 in the first meeting between the teams Jan. 6 in Jackson.

VHS also plays at Pearl on Friday.

“We know it’s going to be hard. We have to come out full of energy,” Murphy said. “It was bad (last time). They had momentum on their side and we were at their place. Now we’re at our house and we can get some momentum and hopefully make it a game.”

For the first time since an impressive three-game run at the Northwest Rankin Holiday Tournament over Christmas break, the Gators had a relatively easy time in the win over Terry (8-13).

They led by as many as 17 points before Terry closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run to pull within 37-28. Vicksburg eased the lead back to double figures by the midway point of the fourth quarter, however, and was never in serious danger.

Terry never got closer than the nine-point margin heading into the fourth quarter.

“We needed a win real bad,” Murphy said. “We’ve been on a down slide. We came out, executed, and got the win.”

(G) Terry 48, Vicksburg 43

The Vicksburg Missy Gators’ foul line foul-ups added another foul mark to their record.

The Missy Gators hit just 7 of 24 free throws to spoil an upset bid against Terry (19-3) in the Red Carpet Classic.

Vicksburg is shooting just 43.1 percent as a team from the line for the season. The poor shooting has been the biggest factor in a five-game losing streak in which the Missy Gators have lost three times by five points or less.

Terry was 17-for-23 at the line on Saturday.

“We’re doing the hard part and then not finishing,” Vicksburg coach Barbara Hartzog said. “The effort was there. The free throws … the free throws. You’ve just got to keep practicing and hope they fall one day.”

Karry Callahan led Vicksburg (10-9) with 11 points and 18 rebounds. Ruddie Shears had 10 points, while Keiyana Gaskin and Kerricka McRunnels scored eight apiece.

Dominique Jackson led Terry with 11 points. The Lady Bulldogs never could shake the Missy Gators, though. Their biggest lead in the second half was only eight points, and they didn’t put the game away until the final seconds.

Nyah Tate hit a shot with 16 seconds left to put Terry ahead 47-43, then Gaskin missed one under the basket on the other end for Vicksburg. Terry grabbed the rebound and Te’Kayla Tassin hit one of two free throws with 6.6 seconds left to ice it.

Despite the loss, Hartzog was encouraged. Her team lost by 33 points to Pearl eight days earlier, but responded with two hard-fought and close losses this week.

That type of effort is what the coach said she’s looking for heading into the back half of the Division 4-5A schedule and the league tournament in February.

“I’ll take all this if we can get it together by February — which I think we will, if they keep stepping up to the competition,” Hartzog said. “As long as we keep improving every day, then when we get that important win it’s a payoff.”