JACKSON — The easier said than done key to Vicksburg overcoming Neshoba Central in the third-place game of the Division 4-5A tournament was to outscore its opponent.

Kirk Parker had 12 points, 18 rebounds, two assists and four blocks as the Gators beat the Rockets 53-50 Friday night to advance to the Class 5A state tournament.

Parker was a field goal away from recording his double-double in the first quarter after scoring eight points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

“My team needed rebounds so I said that’s what I’m going to go for,” Parker said. “I just wanted to not foul and get good blocked shots.”

Vicksburg earned the No. 3 seed from Division 4-5A and will go on the road to face Holmes County Central Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the state tournament.

The Gators had lost by 24 and 22 points to top-seeded Neshoba Central (24-5) during the regular season. Coming into this game, Gators’ coach Dellie C. Robinson knew he would have to conjure up a defensive scheme that would force the Rockets off the perimeter and score in the paint or midrange.

Vicksburg held Neshoba Central to just one point in the second quarter, on a free throw by T.J. Ben, and went on to take a 24-18 lead into halftime.

“We played tremendous man-to-man defense during that stretch,” Robinson said. “We took (T.J. Ben), who had four 3-point shots against us the last time we played them and (C.J. Ruffin) out.

The Gators continued to make the Rockets put the ball on the floor early in the third, but Neshoba Central benefited greatly from Vicksburg turnovers.

Neshoba Central outscored the Gators 32-29 in the second half.

With a quick four points in the first 32 seconds of the fourth quarter, the Rockets were within six points of taking the lead. Jaquan Dotson, who finished with 16 points, stole an inbounds pass and scored to slice the deficit to 40-36.

In the final 1:20 of the game, Neshoba trapped Joe Thomas by the bench to force a turnover. Dotson was later called for a travel to give possession back to Vicksburg.

K.J. Murphy scored the game-winning basket for the Gators with an open lane from midcourt to the basket with 13 seconds left.

“That team is 24-4 so we know they’re a good basketball team,” Robinson said. “They were going to make a run, we just needed to hold it down. We made a couple mistakes but we were able to get that ball down the inside to Kirk and K.J. made a big 3 to kind of hold them off and that was the difference in the ballgame.”

UP NEXT

Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Vicksburg at Holmes County Central

Class 5A boys state tournament