Antrell Gales scored 25 points and Jefferson County High School knocked off Natchez High School 45-35 in girls basketball.

The victory for the Lady Tigers give them their second win over their nearby rivals in just over a week’s span.

“A lot of people have doubted us,” Gales said. “We’re playing this year for our principal Mrs. (Shemekia) Bailey. She lost her daughter, and we’re dedicating our season to her.”

Gales alongside fellow post player Dea’Breaun Turner dominated inside for

Jefferson County (7-0) as the duo combined to rack up a 28 rebounds.

“(Our size) is to our advantage,” JCHS coach Flora McKnight said. “We have to be patient and work on our turnovers. It’s good for us to play against teams that want to slow us down. We really are an up-tempo team, but we can slow it down as well.”

The game turned in Jefferson County’s favor after a strong third quarter in which the Lady Tigers erased a 3-point halftime deficit to build a 31-25 lead heading into the final period.

Natchez (3-4) was held to just five third-quarter points after leading 20-17 at the half.

“The third quarter has not been our friend in any game we’ve played,” Natchez coach Tim Richardson said. “We are always lax in the third quarter. We don’t come out and play as well.”

Kirdis Clark led Natchez with 17 points, while Aja Carter had four points and 14 rebounds.

Turner, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, scored eight points and has been the answer in the interior for the Lady Tigers in replacing back-to-back Natchez Democrat Player of the Year Diamond Smith.

“We miss Diamond, but we’re going to play on,” McKnight said. “There’s no more Diamond, and they know that. We’re working on our rebounding, being patient and not turning the ball over so much.”

The 6-foot-3 Gales had six blocks and pulled down five of her rebounds in the fourth quarter.

Natchez made a concentrated effort to neutralize JCHS point guard Kailyn Hammett, face-guarding her throughout the game including the start.

“We knew they were going to try and do that, and we were prepared for that,” McKnight said. “I just didn’t know they were going to do it so early.”

McKnight countered the move by facing-guarding Clark.

“I was trying to wear out their best player, like they were trying to wear out our best player,” McKnight said. “And the best team won.”

Jefferson County will attempt to keep the momentum going next Friday at the Madison Parish Tournament.

Natchez, meanwhile, will look to get back on the winning track today when it travels to face Franklin County High School.

“(Franklin County) is a more zone team,” Richardson. “We’ll figure something out by tomorrow).”