For four years, Warren Central’s seniors have been chasing a trip to Jackson for the “real” part of the Class 6A state basketball tournament.

That quest is over, and now the one for the gold ball can truly begin.

The Lady Vikes beat Columbus 59-38 on Friday night in a second-round game to earn their first trip to the Jackson portion of the state tournament since 2007.

Warren Central (23-8) will face Pearl (29-2) on March 3 at Jackson State. Tip off for that game will be at 10:30 a.m. The winners will head to the Jackson Coliseum for the semifinals.

Pearl beat Meridian 73-62 in another second-round game Friday night.

“It feels awesome to get there for the first time,” said Warren Central coach Jackie Martin-Glass, who will lead her team to Jackson for the first time in her nine seasons at the helm “I’m excited for my team. Each year we get farther, and we are in a pretty good spot.”

Senior Cocoa Fultz led Warren Central with a season-high 24 points. Aniya Sanders added 16 points and four steals, while Da’Sha McGloster had eight points, five rebounds and four blocked shots.

The Lady Vikes continued a remarkable late-season defensive surge that has carried them to wins in four of their last five games. In each of those victories they have held their opponents to less than 40 points, and two of them scored fewer than 20.

On Friday, Warren Central crept out to a 10-point lead at halftime, carried it through the third quarter, and then put the game away by outscoring the Lady Falcons 18-7 in the fourth quarter.

Warren Central had 12 steals and 12 blocks in the game. Seven of the blocks were by senior center Amber Gaston, a Florida Atlantic signee who did not score a point. Gaston also had three rebounds.

“I’m very pleased. I tell them when you are not scoring, you’ve got to stop the other team,” Martin-Glass said. “Defense wins championships.”