JACKSON — What a way for Natchez High’s basketball teams to begin Division 6-5A action — back-to-back-to-back road trips in a one-week span, starting with Friday night’s games against Wingfield High.

The Lady Bulldogs went into their game against the Lady Falcons without Alia Frank, who had minor knee surgery. Yet they still had no problem defeating the Lady Falcons, 62-56, to improve to 11-2 overall and 1-0 in division play.

“We had other players step up and pulled the load,” Lady Bulldogs head coach Sue Johnson said. “We’re going to be without her for a few games. They tied it up a couple of times. We got the lead and we kept it.”

Wingfield didn’t play like a team that went into this game with a 1-8 record — at least not in the first half. The Lady Falcons took an 18-16 lead at the end of the first quarter and looked like they were on their way to a huge upset after outscoring the Lady Bulldogs 15-9 in the second quarter for a 33-25 halftime lead.

Among those players Johnson mentioned who stepped up for Natchez High were Keosha Bradley, Anastasia Hutchins, Jasmine Belton and Jameka Watkins. And they had to in the second half.

Natchez High cut Wingfield’s eight-point halftime lead to just four points by the end of the third quarter. The Lady Bulldogs rallied to win the game thanks to a 21-11 advantage in the fourth quarter.

Bradley led all scorers with 36 points. Hutchins finished with nine points while Belton and Watkins each had six points. Derita Luckett and Alicia Kelly scored 13 points each to lead Wingfield (1-9, 0-1) and Ugenia Fry chipped in with 10 points.

Wingfield boys 78, Natchez High 66

JACKSON — Jamichael Hawkins and J. Adams scored 14 points each as Wingfield used as balanced of a scoring attack as one will find in a high school basketball game to defeat Natchez High Friday night.

Hawkins and Adams led four Wingfield players in double figures and eight players who scored at least six points in the game. Chris Johnson finished with 11 points and N. Moncure added 10 points for the Falcons (4-3, 1-0).

James Reed scored a game-high 28 points for Natchez High, which tried to rally from a 10-point halftime deficit. The Bulldogs cut into the deficit by the end of the third quarter, but the Falcons responded by outscoring them 19-14 in the fourth quarter.

Brandon Holden added 12 points and Jeremy McMorris chipped in with nine points for the Bulldogs.

Monterey boys 43, Cathedral 29

MONTEREY, La. — Ross Lipsey scored 10 points and Austin Lipsey added eight points as the Wolves defeated the Green Wave Friday night to advance to the boys finals of the Monterey High School Basketball Invitational.

The Wolves led Cathedral by just two points at the end of the first quarter, but they continued to add to their lead as the game went on. The Green Wave was led by Carl Hammitte and Russell Goodman with eight points each.

Monterey (6-8) will take on Harrisonburg today at 7:15 p.m. while Cathedral (0-7) will take on LaSalle today at 4:45 p.m. Harrisonburg advanced to the boys finals with a 49-46 come-from-behind win over LaSalle.

Monterey girls 48, Delhi Charter 25

MONTEREY, La. — Led by Kendall Lipsey and Ellen Bairnsfather, the Lady Wolves advanced to the girls’ finals of the Monterey High School Basketball Invitational by routing the Lady Gators Friday night.

Lipsey led Monterey with 16 points and Bairnsfather had 10 points. The score was tied at 6-6 after one quarter of play, but the second quarter proved to be the difference as the Lady Wolves outscored Delhi Charter 14-2 to take a 12-point halftime lead.

McDowell led the Lady Gators with a game-high 18 points, but only two of her teammates ended up in the scoring column.

Monterey will take on Harrisonburg today at 6 p.m. in the girls’ finals while Delhi Charter will take on LaSalle today at 3:30 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs advance by defeating the Lady Tigers 59-38.