The first quarter of Thursday's home contest against East Central was just the start that the Lady Bears needed as they grabbed the momentum and the lead early and didn't relinquish it for the rest of the night, topping the Lady Warriors 72-48.
 
"They wanted to be aggressive and I rode off of their idea and suggestion and it worked for us early," Southwest head coach Brent Harris said. "(When it came to) half-court defense, it is one of the best games we ever played because we weren't doing things just easy. Hats off to them, that was fantastic."
 
The strong defense put on display by the Lady Bears (17-6, 8-2 MACCC) paid dividends early on. After East Central jumped ahead 3-0, Southwest was a thorn in the side of the Lady Warriors over the next few minutes holding them to that total. Meanwhile the Lady Bear offense went on the attack, led by Michaela Payton who scored a basket and followed that up with a three-point play on the very next possession making it an 8-3 game in favor of the hosts.
 
Kalea Storm added the first of her three 3-pointers on the night helping to create more distance. Towards the end of the quarter, free throws were key for Southwest as the Lady Bears connected on 7-of-10 to take a 22-7 lead after the first 10:00 of play.
 
East Central got a pair of free throws 1:00 into the second half and it marked their first points in nearly 6:00 of gameplay.
 
Not long afterward, Kara Beth Addison, who is mostly known for her presence inside the key, showed her range nailing a couple of big 3-pointers helping Southwest continue to pull away.
 
"It was more of take what they give you," she said. "Coach always says that, and I was more hesitant at the beginning of the year but my teammates kept saying to shoot it and  you know you have a good shot. And they fell tonight which I am thankful for."
 
With :35 to go in the quarter, she added another 3-pointer helping Southwest take a 43-21 halftime lead.
 
The Lady Warriors began to get into a groove in the early stages of the third quarter, but key makes from Payton helped the Lady Bears stay comfortably in front. Storm hit a 3-pointer beating the third quarter buzzer, putting Southwest up 58-38 entering the fourth. She added another made 3 early in the ensuing quarter.
 
Down the stretch, physical play continued to benefit the Lady Bears as Bri Doucet displayed her toughness getting an offensive rebound on a missed free throw before scoring from close range.
 
Not long afterward, the Lady Bears ran out the clock preserving the win.
 
Addison and Payton each had 15 points to lead Southwest while Storm posted 10.
 
Southwest will be on the road Monday as the Lady Bears travel to Utica to face Hinds at 5:30 p.m.