by Travis Connelley
It was a nail-biter towards the end of Monday’s conference game at Northeast Mississippi but a couple of big scores at the end from Kara Beth Addison and a late defensive stand helped the Lady Bears seal a 61-59 win over the Lady Tigers. Addison connected on a layup with :17 to go and added a made free throw with :04 to go.
“Our focus was great and we had several people step up defensively,” Southwest head coach Brent Harris said. “Now when we look at film, there will be some fundamental mistakes that we must grow from. It was a very nice road win.”
Early on, the Lady Bears (16-4, 7-0 MACCC) were locked in a close battle with the Lady Tigers. Southwest got a pair of big 3-pointers from Veronica Williams to help secure a 15-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, however, it was a much different story. The Lady Bears got into rhythm and pulled away. Makes from Kalea Storm and Addison kick-started a 17-5 run which also consisted of baskets from Michaela Payton, Bethany Graves, Morgan Sullivan and another 3-pointer from Williams. When the dust settled, the Lady Bears enjoyed a 32-18 lead at the half.
Even though the Lady Tigers ate into the Lady Bears’ lead in the third quarter, Southwest still maintained a double-digit advantage at the end of the third quarter. Williams stayed hot from beyond the 3-point arch with two more makes while the combination of Payton and Graves added key makes from the paint.
Holding a 49-37 lead, Southwest looked to maintain its stellar play down the stretch. But Northeast would not go away quietly as the Lady Tigers slowly crept closer. The hosts managed to take a 56-55 lead with 2:35 to go and increased the Lady Bear deficit to three with 1:19 to go.
The Lady Bears maintained a level head and went back to what worked well for them all night — the 3-point shooting of Williams. The sophomore from Philadelphia delivered once again, knocking down a 3 with :55 to go, tying the game at 58 before Addison and the defense took over in the closing seconds.
Williams led the Lady Bears with 18 points while Addison had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Kennedee Shelton had six points and a team-high 9 rebounds.
