Just five days removed from a win over Coastal Alabama – North, the Lady Bears, in an act of déjà vu, followed it up with another victory over Lady Coyotes Thursday night. This time it was on the road in Monroeville, AL and it was by a score of 79-50.
"Tonight was a really good test for our team," Southwest head coach Brent Harris said. "We struggled to score early and I think that affected our defense and our poise. We settled down in the second half, we made shots and we played with more discipline."
Offensive struggles in the first quarter put the Lady Bears (2-0) behind the 8-ball early as the Lady Coyotes got into rhythm and put the visitors down 20-8.
In the second quarter, things began to turn for Southwest. While Gracie Miller and Bethany Graves each contributed with a pair of made free throws and Shanell Celestine a pair of field goals, Kara Beth Addison stole the show with 10 of her team-high 17 points in the period helping the Lady Bears narrow the gap to just four at 30-26 at the half.
The change in momentum continued on in the third quarter. The Southwest defense stepped up and allowed only two made field goals and that, coupled with struggles at the free throw line for the hosts, limited them to just eight points in the quarter.
On the other side of the floor, the Lady Bear offense followed suit with the rejuvenated play. In addition to going 6-of-6 from the free throw line, the Lady Bears also got multiple 3-pointers to drop as Kalea Williams and Mady Smith each hit one while Miller drained three as Southwest posted 23 points in the third to take a 49-38 lead into the final quarter of play.
In the fourth, another strong defensive stand coupled with a 24-point effort, the strongest of the night for the Lady Bears, helped Southwest seal the win.
Southwest shot 26-of-31 from the free throw line including a 7-for-7 effort from Graves and a 7-for-8 effort from Addison.
In addition to Addison's big night, two other Lady Bears finished in double figures in scoring as Graves posted 15 points and Miller 14.
Southwest returns home for its next contest as the Lady Bears host Panola College at 4 p.m.
