Southwest Mississippi Women’s Basketball faced Coahoma on February 9 in a close contest at home. The Lady Bears suffered a 72-66 loss, according to team sources.
Southwest started slow, trailing 15-4 with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter. A timeout sparked a rally, and the Lady Bears went on a 16-0 run over the next two minutes. Kori Ware scored the first basket of the run, followed by a steal and two points from Talana Bond. Mercedes Dorsey added 10 first-quarter points, finishing the period with a layup that put Southwest ahead 20-18.
The offensive struggles returned in the second quarter, with Coahoma taking the lead early and maintaining it into halftime, which ended with the Tigers ahead 37-31. The Lady Bears fought back in the third quarter, with back-to-back three-pointers from Bond and free throws from Shanell Celestine tying the game at 43-43 with 4:13 remaining. Coahoma responded with a series of free throws to end the quarter ahead 51-47.
In the fourth quarter, Gracie Miller hit a long three to bring Southwest within a point, and Kayla Arterberry scored a layup to give the Lady Bears a 52-51 lead. However, free throws proved decisive for Coahoma, who made their attempts to secure the win. The Tigers outscored Southwest in the final minutes to finish with a 72-66 victory.
Mercedes Dorsey led all scorers with 16 points, including 10 in the first quarter. Talana Bond and Gracie Miller contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively. The Lady Bears, now 7-13 overall and 3-4 in conference play, will hit the road for back-to-back games against Northeast Mississippi and Itawamba on Thursday and Friday.
