NATCHEZ — The Adams County Christian School girls just needed a friendly reminder of how hard they’ve worked thus far.

Down by eight at the half against Columbia Academy in the MAIS District 5-AA tournament at ACCS, ACCS came back to tie it 39-39 after three. Then in the fourth quarter, ACCS took the lead for good en route to an impressive 46-44 victory Thursday.

The win propelled the Lady Rebels to the district championship game against Brookhaven Academy at 5 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s a big win,” ACCS girls coach Melanie Hall said. “We talked at halftime, and I reminded the girls that they all have a piece that they bring to the team, and when they bring what they have and put it together, that they can do really great things for God’s glory.”

Hall said a sluggish first half was disappointing because it was not a true indicator of what her girls were capable of.

“We’ve worked too hard, and I reminded them that we’ve said from the time they were little girls to not let anybody or anything stand in your way of reaching your goals,” Hall said.

The Lady Rebels trailed 35-26 entering the third period, but ACCS limited the Lady Cougars to five points in the quarter. Brandis White, meanwhile, scored eight of her 20 points in the third for ACCS, and the Lady Rebels tied the game with 16 seconds left in the period with a two-point basket by Jessica Reynolds.

ACCS wasted no time taking the lead in the fourth quarter, when Tory Laird intercepted an inbounds pass by Columbia Academy on the opening play and drove it down for a layup. Skylar Adams added a foul shot with 6:10 left, and the Lady Rebels led by three.

Columbia Academy’s Meredith Bass hit a field goal with 5:52 left to make it 42-41, but White sank a layup with 5:41 to extend ACCS’s lead back to three.

Neither team scored for two minutes before the Lady Panthers’ Sissy Price made a two-point basket with 3:15 left to make it 44-43. A free throw by Bass tied the game at 2:27 left to play.

But the Lady Cougars wouldn’t score again, and two free-throw baskets by White with 10.3 seconds left gave ACCS the lead, and ultimately, the win.

Brookhaven Academy 72,

ACCS boys 27

Brookhaven Academy had three players score in double digits as the ACCS boys lost in a lopsided game.

Gage Posey led Brookhaven Academy with 14 points, while Brock Smith tallied 12 points. Brennan Miller had 11 points for Brookhaven Academy.

ACCS’s Brandon Walker and Ethan Loyed both scored seven points for the Rebels.

ACCS (1-18) will play Columbia Academy at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the district consolation game.