STARKVILLE – For much of the season, Starkville has relied on the scoring efforts of trio Rashad Perkins, Edward Townsel and Gavin Ware. But in the biggest game of the year, Starkville head coach Greg Carter got contributions from other places, too.

With Ware and Perkins in foul trouble most of the night against Vicksburg, Starkville got a combined 30 points from Shaquille Hill (17) and Jaquez Johnson (13). Townsel also picked up two early fouls in the first quarter, and scored all of his 20 points in the second half.

Starkville (26-2) also received 19 points off its bench en route to an 84-67 victory to clinch a spot in next week’s Class 6A state tournament in Jackson.

“That’s the best, complete team effort we’ve had all year,” said Carter. “We played a lot of guys and everyone that came in stepped up. We had Shaquille Hill and Jaquez Johnson playing their butts off in the starting lineup. Quez had to guard one of the best guards in the state and he made him work for everything he got.”

Starkville hit nine 3-pointers in the first half, including three by Hill, to grab a 51-41 advantage at the break. Vicksburg never got within nine points in the second half as Starkville kept a double-digit lead for much of the second half.

“I don’t know if we’ve shot that well, as far as getting shots from different guys,” said Carter. “Our plan wasn’t to leave the bench in there that long. But the whole group was playing well - Mike Brand, Calvin Young and Tori Rice.”

Brand and Rice each had eight points off the bench for Starkville, which will face Greenville – a 64-61 winner over Murrah – tonight for the Class 6A North championship.

“When we saw the bench playing like that, we knew we had to keep that intensity,” said Townsel. “I know it gave me a boost of energy watching them play like that. I came out in the second half ready to go.”

Kelsey Howard scored a game-high 24 points to lead Vicksburg while junior standout Mychal Ammons had 19.