West Lincoln’s Lady Bears advanced to the Region 7-2A championship with a 67-45 win over Bogue Chitto Thursday afternoon.

The Lady Bears controlled most of the game, as their offense scored and fast and often. The Lady Bobcats found themselves in a similar situation, as they had to play from behind for most of the game. Creating turnovers, the Bogue Chitto girls started the comeback rally but fell short in the end.

“I’m proud of the girls and the win,” said Lady Bears coach Brooks Smith. “We shot the ball really well.”

The Lady Bears hit a seven-point streak before the Lady Cats managed to score their first basket of the game. The she-bears offense fired on all cylinders as they led 23-8 heading into the second period.

West Lincoln started sloppy in the second quarter, allowing the Lady Bobcats to begin working on the deficit, but once the Lady Bears got themselves back together they began to pull away to lead 35-17 at halftime.

“I told them it was great to get the win, but I didn’t think we would be anything less than this,” Smith said. “We got to be ready to play against Amite County. We can’t just show up, walk out there and expect to win.

Causing turnovers, the Lady Bobcats started their comeback attempt in a big third quarter. The Bogue Chitto girls doubled their own score, but West Lincoln still grabbed 11 points to lead 46-35 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Lady Bobcats managed 10 more points in the final frame, but West Lincoln’s offense went to work and threw down 21 points to take the game.

The Lady Bears had three players reach double digits. Juniors Katelyn Dickerson and Megan Gerald led the scoring with 17 points each. Junior Skylar Hall netted 15 points. Sophomore Baily Wilson shot eight points. Junior Elizabeth Stogner made six points. Freshman Brittany Sturkey finished with four points.

The Lady Bobcats had one player hit double digits. Bailygh Jackson led the she-cats with 19 points. Lineka Newson hit nine points. Cheyenne Hall hand Tyuana Brumfield had five points each. Karly Leake made three points. Chaelsie Wilson and Kamilah Clay finished with two points each.

The Lady Cats will take on the Lady Hornets Friday in the girls’ consolation game.

The Lady Bears will take on the Amite County Lady Trojans in the Region 7-2A championship.