A second half surge helped the Southside Lady Panthers (3-0) remain unbeaten on the season as they edged the Wilcox Central Lady Jaguars 58-56.

“I thought we turned the ball over too much,” said first year coach Wanda Tyler. “We couldn’t get anything to work for us inside. But we played with intensity and we were able to slow their best player down.”

Both teams missed easy scoring opportunities in the first quarter, but Southside’s Shaniqua Williams scored three straight buckets to give her team an early 10-7 advantage after one quarter.

Wilcox Central came back in the second quarter to go up by six with the help of a 12-0 run less than three minutes before the half. Just before the half, Lady Panther Kierra Miles stole an in bound pass and broke away for a lay up as the clock wound down to knot the game at 25.

Williams got things going for Southside to start the second half as the Lady Panthers scored the first five points.

Wilcox Central’s Faith Jones put her team up by one with a lay up, capping six unanswered points. But a bucket by Jhamerria Moorer put Southside back on top and initiated a 13-5 run to put the Lady Panthers ahead 43-36 after three quarters.

The Lady Jaguars cut the deficit to two with two minutes left in the game, but a bucket by Miles and a free throw by Africa Tyler gave Southside a 54-49 lead with a minute left as Panthers held on for their third straight win.

“We have a young team,” said Lady Jaguar head coach Robin Williams. “We made lots of mistakes tonight and the turnovers hurt us.

Williams scored a game high 20 points for Southside. Miles added 14 points and Moorer chipped in 10.

Shermay Johnson led Wilcox Central with 19 points. Jones scored 18 points. Glenicia Gildersleeve added 10.