VICKSBURG &045; Vicksburg and Natchez played a game of turnovers and missed shots and called it basketball Tuesday night at Vicksburg High.

The two teams combined for 64 missed shots and 60 turnovers in a 58-51 Natchez win. The victory gives the Lady Waves (4-4, 1-0 Division 6-5A) the early lead in the division race.

&uot;A win is always delicious no matter how ugly it was,&uot; Natchez coach Sue Johnson said.

&uot;This was a district game and we really needed it. We had to come away with a win.&uot;

Natchez was coming off two straight losses, while Vicksburg is still mired in a five-game losing streak.

&uot;This team has enough talent, all we have to do is get over that hump,&uot; Vicksburg coach Mike Coleman said.

&uot;I think if something good happens, it might snowball for us. Unfortunately now, I think it’s snowballing the wrong way.&uot;

Kristin Ellis led Vicksburg with 12 points, while Rachel Jenkins scored 11 and Tiffany Williams netted 10.

Natchez led by 15 midway through the fourth quarter before the Missy Gators went on a 10-0 run. Ellis’ basket off a missed free through pulled Vicksburg

(5-7, 0-1) to 52-47 with 2 1/2 minutes to play, but Vicksburg could get no closer.

Natchez played even ball over the final minutes to preserve the victory.

&uot;Even with all that happened, if we made our easy shots, it doesn’t even come down to us having to make a run,&uot; Coleman said.

&uot;We would have been the ones 15 up instead of 15 down. We have to do a better job of making the shot.&uot;

Jasmine Woods led Natchez with 14 points. Jennifer Noble and Ke’Airra Jones each scored 12.

Both teams struggled to a 10-10 tie at the end of the first quarter and the Lady Waves took a 31-28 lead at halftime.

Vicksburg started the second half by scoring the first four points and taking a 32-31 lead, rest of the quarter and trailed by eight going into the fourth.

&uot;Most of our team is young and we are coming,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;If you could

have seen our last two games, baby, you’d really, really be saying,

‘Hallelujah.’&uot;

Natchez boys 72, Vicksburg 66

Natchez scored the final six points and held Vicksburg (7-5, 0-1) scoreless for the last two minutes of the game for a key division win.

Sedrick Williams scored a game-high 22 points and Brandon Harper added 16, but two missed 3-pointers and a turnover in the final minute resulted in six Natchez (5-2, 1-0) points and the victory.

Mike Chatman and Rodney Gray each scored 18 points to lead four Natchez players in double figures. Jeremy Huston scored 15 and Keyshawn Tensley scored 11 in the win.

A three-point play by Williams with 2:05 left in the game tied the score at 66. Natchez then milked 1 minute, 15 seconds off the clock, getting a go-ahead basket by Gray.

Edwin Gaskin had 11 points for Vicksburg.