Leake Central is headed to the state championship.
The Gators pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat Greenwood 50-42 in the MHSAA Class 4A State Semifinal Tuesday at the Mississippi Coliseum.
Leake Central led 7-2 after the opening quarter and carried a 22-17 advantage into halftime. Greenwood battled back to keep it close in the third, but the Gators outscored the Bulldogs 18-16 in the final period to secure the eight-point victory.
Tylan Fortune led Leake Central with 16 points, while Jermichael Stewart added 14 and C. Kopaddy finished with 12. The Gators shot 20-of-49 from the field and limited turnovers to just seven in the win.
Jeremiah Kendrick paced Greenwood with a game-high 19 points, and Keyshawn Harris chipped in nine. Greenwood outrebounded Leake Central 44-25 but was hurt by 15 turnovers.
With the win, Leake Central advances to the Class 4A State Championship game and will face Morton on Friday at 4:00 p.m., once again at the Mississippi Coliseum.
