FAYETTE — With senior forward/center Taylor Mims having to leave the game early with an unusual injury, a pair of sophomores stepped up their game in leading Jefferson County past Wilkinson County 38-36 Tuesday night in Region 7-3A action.

Mims had an eyebrow busted open during the first quarter and had to be taken to a local hospital. With that post presence not on the floor, others had to pick up the slack. And guard/forward Haley Turner and guard Brandy Buck did just that and in the process ended Wilkinson County’s three-game winning streak.

Perhaps feeling the loss of Mims, the Lady Tigers trailed the Lady Wildcats 11-2 at the end of the first quarter. But it didn’t take long for the home team to get back in the game.

“We had to play team ball. We had to get everybody involved,” said Turner, who led Jefferson County with a game-high 12 points. “Everybody came together as a team. We knew we could beat them. Tonight, we showed heart.”

Buck finished with 10 points and Jerlyn Johnson chipped in with eight points.

The Lady Tigers ramped up their defensive pressure over the next two quarters that forced numerous turnovers, which in turn led to easy transition baskets. They outscored Wilkinson County 12-6 in the second quarter to trail by just three points, 17-14, at halftime and then took a 24-19 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to a 10-2 advantage in the third quarter.

“We put pressure on their point guard. Everything else fell into place,” Turner said. “Without her, they were nothing.”

Breshianna Day, one of the Lady Wildcats’ leading scorers, was held to just six points. They were led by Tyeshia Harris with nine points and Lastencia Brown had seven points.

Jefferson County held on for the two-point win despite being outscored by Wilkinson County 17-14 in the fourth quarter.

Jefferson County (1-2 in Region 7-3A) plays at Tylertown on Saturday. Wilkinson County (5-12 overall, Region 7-3A record N/A) hosts Amite County on Friday.

Trinity Episcopal 55,

Tallulah Academy 35

TALLULAH, La. — What was supposed to have been a battle of the two best teams in MAIS District 6-A quickly turned into a rout as the Trinity Episcopal Lady Saints dominated the first half on their way to a big win over the Tallulah Academy Lady Trojans Tuesday night.

It was also a game between the No. 1 team in Class A and a team trying to prove it belongs among the best in that classification. The problem was Tallulah Academy had no answer for Trinity Episcopal’s Madelyn Cross.

Cross torched the Lady Trojans to the tune of a game-high 30 points – most of those coming in the first half. The Lady Saints took an 18-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and by halftime they had a commanding 37-15 lead over the Lady Trojans.

Bethany Ogden added 10 points for Trinity Episcopal (13-5, 3-0), which will take on Madison-Ridgeland Academy Thursday at 4:45 p.m. at the Jackson Academy Classic.

ACCS 67, WCCA 49

WOODVILLE — Caroline Walker and Terri Fisher tried their best to keep Wilkinson County Christian Academy in the game, but the Lady Rams lacked Adams County Christian School’s depth.

That proved to be the difference in the Lady Rebels’ win Tuesday night in an MAIS District 5-AA game.

WCCA trailed ACCS by just five points, 20-15, at the end of the first quarter. But any thoughts of the Lady Rams pulling off an upset ended over the next two quarters as the Lady Rebels outscored them 17-10 in the second quarter and 14-5 in the third quarter.

Oddly enough, most of the Lady Rams’ points came at the free-throw line. Walker finished with 22 points and Fisher added 16 points.

Kaitlan Melton led ACCS (13-3, 3-0) with 22 points and Brandis White scored 15 points. Yet the one thing head coach Melanie Hall said she wasn’t happy with was the number of free throws the Lady Rebels missed. And that’s why the margin of victory wasn’t any bigger.

ACCS hosts Canton Academy on Thursday.

Franklin County 71,

West Lincoln 35

BROOKHAVEN — Jessica Jackson scored 11 points and Allison Hauer had 10 points as just about everyone on Franklin County’s roster wound up in the scoring column in the Lady Dawgs’ win over West Lincoln Tuesday night.

Karli Herrington did her part to try to keep the Lady Bears from getting blown out early like most of Franklin County’s opponents do. Even though West Lincoln was only down by 11 points at halftime and Herrington finished with a game-high 17 points, the Lady Dawgs controlled the action in the second half on both ends of the court on their way to the 36-point win.

Vintrice Briggs scored eight points and Kiarra Sykes chipped in with seven points for Franklin County (12-0), ranked No. 8 in the Clarion-Ledger’s Girls Super 10 poll and No. 2 in Class 3A. The Lady Dawgs host Hazlehurst on Friday.

Monterey 65, LaSalle 28

MONTEREY, La. — Ellen Bairnsfather had a game-high 17 points while Rachel Pecanty and Kendall Lipsey scored 14 points apiece to lead the Monterey Lady Wolves to an easy win over the LaSalle Lady Tigers Tuesday night.

Monterey led just 11-8 over LaSalle after one quarter of play, but in the second quarter the Lady Wolves were dominating as they outscored the Lady Tigers 24-6 on their way to a 35-14 halftime lead.

With the win, Monterey, the No. 10 team in the latest Class B power rankings, improved to 16-1 overall. The Lady Wolves play at Forest on Friday.