Northwest Mississippi falls to Lawson State 75-64 in women’s basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Northwest Mississippi Community College women’s basketball team lost its first road game of the season, falling 75-64 to Lawson State Community College on Wednesday night.
Head Coach Lataryl Williams credited Lawson State’s game plan for the victory. “Hats off to Lawson, they did a great job with their game plan and that’s why they deserved the win tonight,” he said. “I just didn’t think we closed the game like we should have. They made the plays that we didn’t and that’s why they came out on top.”
The game started slowly for the Rangers, who scored only one field goal in the first nine minutes. Lawson State took advantage, building a 22-3 lead and extending it to 24-8 entering the second quarter. Williams called it a learning moment for the team ahead of upcoming conference road games.
“We will have to play conference road games and there are going to be three-hour bus rides,” he said. “We have to be able to get off of the bus and compete. Let’s not look at this as the game being over. There is a lot of time left and let’s keep attacking them one possession at a time.”
Northwest found its rhythm in the second quarter, sparked by five quick points from Mitchell and two and-one plays from Alorian Story. The team cut the deficit to single digits with three minutes remaining in the half. Lawson State responded, pushing the lead back to as high as 16 before settling for a 42-29 advantage at halftime.
Mitchell and Story continued their strong play in the third quarter, combining for 17 of the team’s 19 points. Despite the offensive surge, every Ranger run was answered by Lawson State, which maintained a 58-48 lead going into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, Northwest trimmed the margin to 66-61 with three minutes remaining. However, Lawson State responded with a 7-0 run to seal the victory, finishing with a 75-64 win in the final conference game of the season for the Rangers.
“We just need to learn from our mistakes after watching film and get ready for conference play on Monday,” Williams said. “Lawson did a really good job of attacking us and putting pressure on us by getting downhill. That’s something we talked about before the game, and we didn’t do a good job of keeping them out of the paint.”
Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points, adding four rebounds and two steals. Story posted her 10th double-double of the season with 20 points and 14 rebounds, also recording four blocks. Layla Hampton contributed across multiple categories with seven points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
The team shot 31 percent from the field and 24 percent from three-point range, struggling offensively. They also made only 8 of 14 free throws. The loss concludes the non-conference schedule as Northwest prepares to open MACCC play Monday, Jan. 12, against East Mississippi Community College. The Rangers previously defeated the Lions 67-55 in Scooba on Dec. 4. The setback snapped a four-game winning streak and ended their season-long unbeaten run on the road.
Fans can follow Northwest women’s basketball throughout the season at nwccrangers.com or via the team’s social media accounts.
Source: Original Article
