A stellar night by Vicksburg High’s Kienta Ross led the Gators to a blowout of one of Class 5A’s top teams.

Ross, a 6-foot-1 senior forward, finished one rebound shy of a triple double. He had 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds as the Gators blasted McComb, 78-48 on Friday night.

McComb (4-3) was led by Ole Miss signee LaDarius White, who scored 14 of his game-high 21 points during the first 11 minutes. Vicksburg (6-2) went with a zone defense to combat White and it worked. Ross was a big reason why.

“Going to the zone helped us slow down their 3-point shooters,” Ross said. “We guarded their shots and got the rebound.”

On the other end, the Gators overcame a sluggish start with a late charge to finish the first half. They went on a decisive 12-0 run — without leading score Mychal Ammons, who was on the bench with two fouls — to take a 38-25 lead into halftime.

“White was killing us in our man defense by going up to the top of the key,” VHS coach Dellie C. Robinson said. “We had to go zone to slow him down. We had an opportunity to play it because they were without one of their big men.”

The Gators had problems with McComb’s zone as well, but that ended when Ross figured out who to get the ball to.

Three of his assists came as Willie Gibbs knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and Dominique Brown hit one to key the Gators’ run.

“I just had to find the open person,” Ross said.

McComb went six more minutes to start the third quarter without a field goal. By then, Vicksburg had pushed the lead to 19 points, at 48-29.

Ammons capped the rout with eight points and three blocks in the fourth quarter as the lead grew into the upper 20s.

Ammons finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Gibbs had 14 points, and Brown had 13 points with five assists.

McComb was just 11-for-36 shooting from the field through three quarters.

“We just didn’t hit shots,” McComb coach Hilton Harrell said.

(G) VHS 49, McComb 47

The Missy Gators (4-3) fought back from 10 points down and held on for a win over McComb.

Vicksburg took advantage of the foul problems of McComb’s top scorer, Audrekus Dexter. She picked up her fourth foul with three minutes left in the third quarter and the Lady Tigers ahead 42-32. Vicksburg responded by scoring the next 15 points to turn the deficit into a five-point lead at 47-42. Montevallo signee Donyeah Mayfield keyed the run with 10 of her game-high 26 points.

“Donyeah is our go-to person, but I thought her teammates did a good job of getting her the basketball,” VHS coach Barbara Hartzog said. “We keep doing things to fall behind, but at least like tonight and the other night against Forest Hill, we keep coming back.”

Dexter re-entered the contest and got McComb within two points with a minute to play. Two free throws by Shanequa Hill gave VHS a four-point lead at 49-45, but McComb’s Alexus Johnson scored on an inbounds play to cut it back two.

With 7.7 seconds left, Vicksburg’s Antoinette Mayfield missed a one-and-one. Two McComb players collided while going for the rebound and the Missy Gators got possession back. Hill got fouled, but missed the free throw. It bounded toward the corner with less than a second left and McComb could not get a shot off.

Hill finished with 15 points for the Missy Gators. Dexter had 19 to lead McComb.