SUMMIT - For most of the first half, motivation and grit kept Northwest in the lead in Thursday's NJCAA Region 23 Tournament opener at Southwest Mississippi.

While the Lady Rangers were hoping to exact revenge for their road loss to SMCC earlier in the week, the Lady Bears came out of the locker room with a different plan, outscoring Northwest 23-10 in the third quarter to eventually hand NWCC a 68-54 loss.

Northwest led 18-16 at the end of the first period and briefly led by double digits in the second quarter, before taking a 34-28 advantage into halftime. However, foul trouble and Kara Beth Addison eventually caught up with the Lady Rangers, sparking the massive third quarter from Southwest Mississippi.

Trailing 51-44 entering the fourth period, the Lady Rangers tried to remain within striking distance of the Lady Bears. Northwest was still within seven, 59-52, with five minutes left in regulation, but Southwest Mississippi used a 9-2 run to close out the contest.

Despite the loss, the Lady Rangers finished with a slightly higher shooting percentage, closing out the night at 42 percent from the floor. The Lady Bears shot 41 percent and both teams were exactly 3-of-14 from three-point range.

However, one of the most noticeable differences came from the free throw line, where Northwest was only awarded eight free throws on the evening. The Lady Rangers finished 1-for-8, while Southwest Mississippi was 17-of-21 from the charity stripe.

Unlike the first meeting between the two teams earlier in the week, freshman Alorian Story played a major factor for Northwest, capping off a stellar debut season with her 11th double-double of the season. The Ripley native totaled 18 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Lady Rangers in both categories.

Meanwhile, sophomore guard Mariah Reed-Jones closed out her Northwest career with 15 points and six boards. The Oxford native and recent Jackson State commit logged her 17th game in double figures this season, and the 30th of her Lady Ranger career.

Northwest was limited to just eight points off the bench, with Aaliyah Taylor accounting for five total. 

Meanwhile, four Lady Bears reached double figures, led by a near double-double from Addison, who netted 23 points and nine rebounds. Bethany Graves added 12 points and 11 boards, while Moosie Walls also collected a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Mookie Lampley closed out the notable scoring for Southwest Mississippi, totaling 11 points with five rebounds and a team-high five assists.

With the loss, Northwest concludes the 2024-25 season with a 10-15 overall record and a 6-8 mark in the MACCC. In his three years as head coach, LaTaryl Williams has guided the Lady Rangers to the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament in each of the past two seasons.

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