Southwest Mississippi Women’s Basketball edged the Mississippi Delta Trojans 64-51 Saturday at home. The win marked the Lady Bears’ second straight victory at their gym and improved their conference record to 3-3, according to team sources.
The game was closely contested early, with the first quarter ending in a 13-13 tie. Southwest tied the game with back-to-back three-pointers from Gracie Miller and Laci Buchanan. Miller added another corner three early in the second quarter, giving the Lady Bears a brief lead. However, the Trojans responded and took a 27-26 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Talana Bond stole the ball and scored on a breakaway, giving Southwest the lead. The Trojans fought back, and the third quarter ended with the Lady Bears trailing 39-44. In the fourth, Mady Smith scored five straight points to keep Southwest close. With five minutes remaining, Mercedes Dorsey made a layup to put the Trojans ahead. Southwest’s defense tightened, and Dorsey scored nine points in the final quarter to help secure the victory. Gracie Miller hit a clutch corner three with less than two minutes remaining to seal the win.
Head coach Brent Harris praised his team’s late-game defense and execution. “Very proud of our defense late and execution overall,” he said. Miller led the team with 15 points, including three three-pointers, followed by Smith with 14 points. Bond added 10 points and made four critical free throws in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Bears (7-12, 3-3 in conference) will host Coahoma on Monday, February 9, in their next game, according to team officials.
