Despite a late rally by visiting Panola College in Monday's home contest, the Lady Bears held on in the end defeating the Fillies 57-54.

After the game, Southwest head coach Brent Harris said that getting the win and keeping the momentum going was vital.

"It is big because there is so much to learn from it," he said. "It is so difficult to simulate in a practice. It is hard to simulate that speed and athleticism. Sometimes you have to learn when you get a closeout, even though it wasn't the prettiest closeout in the world."

The Lady Bears (3-0) got off to a positive start, grabbing an early lead fueled by six points from Bethany Graves and four from Kara Beth Addison.

Leading 14-12 at the end of the first 10:00 of play, it was more of the same in the second quarter for the Lady Bears. Led by six points from Mookie Lampley and four each from Graves and Addison, Southwest not only maintained its lead but grew it by as much as eight at 30-22 at the half.

Yet another strong offensive outing in the third, kept Southwest ahead. A little more than halfway through the quarter, the lead grew to double digits and the Lady Bears' strong offensive outing was highlighted by a three-point play from Addison as she took a pass from Lampley, who was being double-teamed before powering her way towards the basket and getting fouled prior to making her shot.

Addison admits that Monday's game was arguably her most aggressive yet she knew it would be like that beforehand.

"I knew that they were a good team and they had a girl that was 5'10 lanky and long and that is what I am, I am 6'0," she said. "So it was stepping up and proving which one was going to out-hustle who."

Southwest entered the fourth quarter with an 18-point lead at 50-32 but the momentum quickly went away afterward. After the Lady Bears scored a basket to match one that he Fillies had to open the period, struggles ensued and Panola inched its was back into the contest.

With under a minute to go, Southwest watched its lead shrink from 18 to two. But a pair of Graves free throws, followed by one from Kalea Williams pushed the Southwest lead back to five at 55-50. Even though Panola splashed-in a 3-pointer with about :10 to go to pull within one, the Lady Bears got a transition basket from Gracie Miller in the closing seconds to help seal the win.  

Addison led the Lady Bears with 16 points while Graves poured in 14 and Lampley 11.

Southwest will be on the road Thursday visiting Coastal Alabama – South at 5:30 p.m.