Lady Bears fall at Northwest Mississippi

Thursday, November 21, 2024: Women's Basketball

Senatobia, MS

The Baton Rouge Lady Bears traveled to Senatobia, Mississippi, to face the Northwest Mississippi Lady Rangers in a rematch of the season opener. The Lady Rangers defeated the Lady Bears 76 to 66 in their previous meeting. Looking for revenge, the Lady Bears unfortunately suffered another defeat, this time falling 67 to 57 at Howard Coliseum.

The first quarter began at a fast pace, with both teams eager to establish offensive momentum. Five minutes into the game, the score was tied at seven. The Lady Rangers then launched an 8-2 run, taking a 15-9 lead with two minutes remaining in the quarter. The Lady Bears answered with a strong effort on the boards, going on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 15, capped off by a three-point buzzer-beater from DeZarae Stewart.

Kinsley James made a coast-to-coast layup in the second quarter, giving the Lady Bears a two-point lead at 17-15 with eight minutes left. However, the Lady Rangers quickly tied the game and mirrored the Lady Bears' strategy by dominating the boards, gaining extra possessions while limiting the Lady Bears to single possessions. The Lady Rangers outscored the Lady Bears 16-9 this quarter, taking a 31-24 lead into halftime. The Lady Bears struggled to find their offensive rhythm and had difficulty containing the Lady Rangers in the paint and on the boards.

The Lady Rangers continued their strong performance in the third quarter, extending their lead to twelve points at 41-29 with seven minutes remaining. The Lady Bears cut the deficit to six points at 48-42 with one minute left in the quarter. However, the Lady Rangers outscored Baton Rouge 20-18 in the third quarter, heading into the fourth with a 51-42 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Bears faced ongoing offensive challenges, shooting just 29% from the floor for the game. Nonetheless, J'nyria Kelly and Shelcie LeBlanc made key contributions, combining to score 13 of the Lady Bears' 15 points in the quarter. Despite their efforts, the Lady Rangers proved too strong, defeating the Lady Bears for the second time this season with a final score of 67-57.

DeZarae Stewart led the Lady Bears in scoring with 15 points off the bench, while Shelcie LeBlanc was the only other Lady Bear in double figures, contributing 13 points. The Lady Rangers were led by Alorian Story, who scored a game-high 18 points, with three players reaching double figures in scoring.

With this loss, the Lady Bears' record fell to 3-2 for the season, while the Lady Rangers improved to 3-4. Northwest Mississippi now leads the all-time series against Baton Rouge with five wins to two losses.

Lady Bears Highlights:

DeZarae Stewart led all Lady Bears with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals, off the bench.

Shelcie LeBlanc added 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.

J'nyria Kelly scored 8 points with 3 rebounds.

Gabrielle Lathers led the Lady Bears on the boards grabbing 11.

The Lady Bears will continue their road trip in Mobile, Alabama, against Bishop State Community College on Monday, November 25, 2024.

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