NATCHEZ — The Trinity Episcopal basketball team built an 11-point lead in the first half of its game against Centreville Academy Monday night by forcing the Tigers into several turnovers and sinking five three-pointers.

The Saints then went into cruise control in the second half to secure a 58-48 win.

Despite winning the game, Trinity coach David King said he was unhappy with his team’s effort in the contest.

“That was about as ugly a win as you could get,” King said. “I thought we would be down a little bit after (the loss to) Brookhaven (Friday), and I was right. But you are going to have games like that.”

One issue Trinity had in its loss to Brookhaven was missing layups and open shots, but the Saints did not have that problem Monday night, especially in the first half.

“They were playing zone, and we got more looks,” King said.

Centreville had stretches where it scored with Trinity to keep the game close, but head coach Jason Horne said his team could not maintain its offensive success.

“We hung with (Trinity), and they are a more athletic team than we are,” Horne said. “Their shots fell and ours didn’t. We couldn’t get anything to go in the fourth quarter, and we cut it to seven (points) at one time, but we just couldn’t get anything going.”

Turnovers did not allow the Tigers to sustain a rhythm on offense, and Horne said that has been Centreville’s Achilles’ heel all season.

“Tonight we had 19 turnovers, and that’s probably the second lowest we’ve had all year. We have problems taking care of the ball against good teams.”

Tanner Cage was the leading scorer for Trinity with 14 points. Chance Humphreys matched Cage for Centreville with 14 points of his own to lead the Tigers.

Trinity led by just two points after the first quarter, but a 22-point outburst in the second frame gave the Saints a 37-26 lead at the break.

Centreville made a run at Trinity in the fourth quarter behind Jake Darden’s nine fourth-quarter points, but the Tigers were unable to get within striking distance.

Darden and Chance Humphreys each scored nine points for Centreville.

Trae McKenzie was the Saints’ second-leading scorer with eight points and he also pulled down 10 rebounds.

Trinity (17-8, 3-2) will host Adams County Christian School tonight in a District 5-AA matchup. Centreville (6-17, 1-7) will wait nearly two weeks before they play in the District 6-AA Tournament Feb. 10.

Trinity girls 48, Centreville 43

Abbey Ashmore’s 12 points and Rosie Woods’ 11 points led the Trinity girls’ basketball team to a 48-43 overtime win against Centreville Monday night.

The two teams battled to a 40-40 tie at the end of regulation, but Trinity was able to control the play in overtime to get the win.

“I thought this was the best team effort we’ve had all year,” Trinity head coach Richy Spears said. “We were getting to the right places, moving the ball to open people and making good passes.”

Spears said he hopes that the win will give some confidence to a Saints’ team that had struggled lately.

“Hopefully we will see we are not as bad as our record indicates, and they will see that they can play,” Spears said.

Centreville’s Katie Berry led all scorers in the game with 20 points.