After trailing most of the first half Monday night, the Southwest Lady Bears came out on fire in the second to pick up a 72-64 win over the East Mississippi Lady Lions in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament being held at Mississippi College in Clinton.

With the win, the Lady Bears moved to 20-7 on the season. East Mississippi closes out their campaign with a 16-9 mark.

Southwest returns to action Friday at 2:00 against a familiar foe, the Pearl River Lady Wildcats. A win will not only put the Lady Bears in the regional championship on Saturday night, but it will also assure them of a trip to the NJCAA National Championship Tournament in Salina, KS.

Things looked good early Monday night for the Lady Bears when baskets by Elayne Robinson and Tee Myers gave them an early 4-0 lead. An April Levy three-pointer then gave them their largest lead of the half, 7-2, with 16:55 on the clock.

However, the Lady Lions then showed they were there to play as they took the lead for the first time, 11-9, on Wilma Davis’ three-pointer with 12:44 on the clock and held the advantage for all but twenty seconds the remainder of the half. A layup by Takera Mitchell gave them their biggest lead of the night, 22-14, with 8:32 to play.

The Lady Bears, not willing to concede the game in the first half, fought back to knot the score at 22-22 on Courtney Epting’s three-pointer with 3:07 left. After East Mississippi pushed the lead back to five, 27-22, with 1:33 showing, five of six free throws by Katrina Littlepage brought the Lady Bears back to within two points, 29-27, at the half.

Whatever the content of the Southwest coaches’ halftime talk to the team, it obviously worked in the second half. After East Mississippi scored the first two points to take a 32-27 lead, the Lady Bears suddenly caught fire. Jump started by a Myers layup and capped by an Epting basket, the Lady Bears scored the next 15 points to take a 42-32 lead with 14:35 left in the game.

A Savannah Kimmons bucket stopped the Lady Bears’ run and made the score 42-34 with 14:11 on the clock. But, a run of 11-4, ending with a Littlepage jumper and two free throws, gave them their biggest lead of the night, 53-38, with 9:16 on the clock.

East Mississippi stayed calm and slowly worked their way back into the game. With Southwest up 62-49 and 5:09 to play, the Lady Lions outscored the Lady Bears 15-9 to pull to within seven points, 71-64, with 2:07 to go. But, that would be as close as they could come as a Madison Mault jumper and Littlepage free throw gave the Lady Bears their final margin of victory.

“Tonight was a total team win,” said Southwest head coach Brent Harris. “I thought everyone contributed in a positive manner. Twenty wins is a great accomplishment in the basketball world. But, now we have some special opportunities in front of our team” with a chance to advance to the national tournament.

Littlepage led the Lady Bears, and all scorers, with 23 points in the game. She hit 13 of 16 free throws. Levy was also in double figures with 13 points.

Epting and Mault both totaled nine points while Myers scored seven and Elayne Robinson picked up five. Talisa Sherman netted four points and Fredrikah Wilson had two. The Lady Bears made 25 of 29 free throws.

Kimmons led East Mississippi’s scoring with 17 points. The Lady Lions made three of eight free throws.