MOOREVILLE — South Pontotoc girls and boys, Water Valley girls, and Mooreville boys all punched their tickets to the second round of the Region 2-3A tournament Tuesday night in Mooreville.
Water Valley 56 Mooreville 41 (G)
Water Valley opened the game on an 11-2 run before Lauren Lewis caught fire midway through the second quarter to score six points to pull the Lady Troopers to a 26-20 halftime deficit.
Lacey Richey connected on a lay-up and a three-pointer to pull Mooreville within 28-26 early in the third, but the rest of the night belonged to Water Valley.
Ashley Phillips scored seven thrid-quarters points and added six more in the fourth to help the Lady Blue Devils pull away for the 56-41 victory.
Lewis scored a team-high 13 while Richey added 11 for Mooreville.
Courtney Phillips scored 19, Ashley added 16, and Haley Vance had 14 to help Water Valley advance to the Region 2-3A semifinals against top-seed Aberdeen.
Mooreville 62 Winona 35 (B)
Quadzing Rogers scored a game-high 21 points as the Troopers cruised to a 62-35 win over the Winona Tigers.
Winona closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run to make it an 18-11 contest, but that would be as close as Mooreville would let it get as they held the Tigers to 3 second-quarters points. Rogers scored 9 points in the second half to put the Troopers in the semifinals against No. 2 seed Nettleton Thursday night at 8:30.
Cody Flowers led Winona with 8 points.
South Pontotoc 64 Winona 61 (G)
Elizabeth Henson found her twin sister Emily with a no-look pass for a uncontested lay-up to put South Pontotoc up for good in the final seconds of their 64-61 win over Winona.
Emily Henson scored 19 while Lana Goggins added 16 and Cortney Collums had 11 for South Pontotoc.
Alexus Flowers paced Winona with 28 points.
South will take on No. 2 seed Nettleton Thursday.
South Pontotoc 50 Water Valley 38 (B)
Gary Lipsey scored 20 of his game-high 30 points in the first half to help lift South Pontotoc to a 50-38 win over Water Valley.
The Cougars pushed their way out to a 38-30 lead behind five points from Jermaine Bean and Lipsey added six in the final frame to send South to Thursday’s semifinal against Aberdeen with the 50-38 victory.
Bean scored 11 for South Pontotoc.
Tavi Toles paced Valley with 13 points.
