ELLISVILLE — In the first round of the MACJC State Tournament, the Southwest Mississippi Community College women’s basketball team held a comfortable lead in the first half and trailed by one in the final five minutes of the second half, but wasn’t able to advance into the second round over No. 1 seed East Mississippi.
The Lady Bears lost 67-58, but will advance to the regional tournament next week at Mississippi College to continue their season.
Southwest’s defense worked against East Mississippi, though the Lions’ offensive rebounding nullified the defensive success.
“Our strategy was working,” Southwest head coach Mark Swindle said. “They were at the end of the shot clock almost every time. We just didn’t make our shots.”
Two transition buckets with three minutes left in the first half put Southwest up 25-17, but the next four trips down the floor came up empty.
“We were just a couple shots away,” Swindle said. “On four trips we did nothing — had four turnovers.”
East Mississippi used the opportunity hit two of its three 3-pointers for the game before halftime and were only down one going to the break.
Southwest wasn’t as careful with the ball as it had been in its 5-1 run to end division play. The Bears turned the ball over 21 times, and East Mississippi didn’t press for much of the game.
Even in the halfcourt, Southwest’s point guards never looked comfortable.
The Bears’ missed shots weren’t that damaging because East Mississippi didn’t shoot well from the floor, either. The Lions did get themselves extra buckets on putbacks.
Southwest never led by more than one in the second half and trailed by as many as five before two Octavia Bearden baskets shortened the lead to one with 5:12 left in the game.
The Bears went the next four minutes without a field goal and just one made free throw. East Mississippi stretched its lead to 10 before Southwest’s shots started falling again.
Ivielle Stewart made two 3-pointers in the final minute, but Southwest wasn’t able to get any closer than six.
Bearden scored 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Stewart finished with 11, and Toni Anthony had nine points and nine rebounds.
