After playing most of this season like a team of seasoned veterans, the Warren Central Lady Vikes let their youthfulness show Tuesday night.

And it wasn’t pretty.

The Lady Vikes (21-7) watched a 29-12 halftime lead dissipate into a 55-52 loss the likes coach Donny Fuller is not used to seeing.

&#8220We got a big lead, relaxed and lost our focus. When they got on a roll, we lost our composure,” Fuller said.

The Lady Vikes wilted under Jim Hill’s full-court pressure defense in the third quarter. The 17-point lead WC had enjoyed, turned into a 3-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Hill outscored WC 25-5 in the third, caused 10 turnovers and forced the Lady Vikes into rushing inside and outside shots.

&#8220We didn’t come out fighting in the first half like we normally do,” said Jim Hill’s Ne’Aisha Anderson, who led all scorers with 17 points – all in the second half. &#8220In the second half, we came out, poised ourselves and came out with the win.”

Amanda Doyle led Warren Central with 13 points and Sha’Kayla Caples scored 12, but the Lady Vikes connected on only five field goals in the second half.

&#8220In the second half, we thought as though the basketball was a bomb and we had to get rid of it quickly,” Fuller said. &#8220We didn’t look for what we should have been, you know, and we… just lost it.”

After falling behind by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter, WC made a charge. A Doyle three-point play cut the deficit to 51-49 with 58 seconds to play.

But the Lady Vikes could get no closer over the final minute.

The Lady Vikes will conclude the regular season on Friday at Natchez.

(B) WC 81, Jim Hill 68.

Four Warren Central players scored in double figures and the Vikings (15-8) won their final regular season home game.

Jula Pugh scored 16 points to lead the Vikings’ attack, while Shone Ester scored 15, Andy Anderton score 13 and Shaan Walker added 11.

Tristan McGowan led all scorers with 24 points and had six of the Tigers’ 16 3-pointers.

McGowan hit a half-court 3-pointer as time expired in the half to give Hill a 39-38 lead.

(B) St. Aloysius 71, Salem 41.

Chase Smith led five players in double figures and the Flashes (19-7) rolled over Salem.

Smith scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while teammates Alex Lanier scored 13, Chris Johnson netted 11 and Marsh Willis and John Robert Burnett each scored 10 in the win.

St. Al led 31-21 at halftime and outscored Salem 40-20 in the second half.

(G) St. Aloysius 75, Salem 47.

Annie Beaugh scored a game-high 28 points and Sarah Kerut added 25 as the Lady Flashes improved to 25-1 with the victory. Amy Beaugh scored 14 points for St. Al.

The Lady Flashes trailed by three at the end of the first quarter, but used a 46-point second half to pull away.