Several non-conference matchups thus far this year have tested the Lady Bears. But arguably none more difficult than against the No. 4 Jones Lady Bobcats in Friday evening's MACCC Conference opener.
 
And despite playing a good brand of soccer, the Lady Bears could not keep up with Jones, falling 3-0.
 
After the match, Southwest head coach Nicole Cooper praised the way her team hung tough with a Top-5-ranked team.
 
"Honestly, I'm pretty happy with our performance," she said. "Giving up a goal with 2:00 left is unfortunate but our play on the field and what we've been practicing, translated really well."
 
The Lady Bears (2-4, 0-1) tried to set the tone early, but it was the Lady Bobcats who struck first with a goal in the ninth minute putting Southwest down 1-0.
 
The deficit unfortunately grew for Southwest early in the second half. With 36:10 to go in the contest, Jones added to its lead, making it a 2-0 game before getting their third and final score with just over 2:00 to go.
 
Southwest will be back in action on Tuesday, hosting East Central at 5 p.m.