ROBERSONVILLE — If the Cougars were supposed to be the underdogs Friday night nobody told them. Searching for its first Four Rivers Conference win of the season, South Creek scrapped with Northside for four quarters but in the end fell short as the Panthers packed a little more punch late in the game to take a 48-44 victory.
The Cougars (3-14, 0-6) took an early 12-7 lead as guard Kim Mobley scored five of her team-high 13 points to take a five point advantage into the second quarter.
It was there that Northside (9-4, 2-2) got defensive. The Panthers went to their press and managed to make up lost ground on the Cougars, tying the game three times before a Mobley free throw put South Creek up 20-19 going into halftime.
“That’s what we count on,” Northside coach Michelle Leathers said of the press. “We count on our defense and girls like Caroline Slade being able to trap and get the defense going.”
While Slade was key on defense, she also had a strong night on offense as she poured in a game-high 16 points.
“We need to have somebody else that can score and Caroline can do that,” Leathers said. “We’ve been talking to her about that in practice, we know she can play.”
Panthers’ shooting guard Alex Adams tallied 15 points and center Jordan Woolard added 10 to lead the Panthers.
The two teams traded hot and cold spells throughout the game and after three quarters found themselves locked in a 30-30 tie headed into the fourth
In the end, the play of the Panthers big three was the key as Woolard, Adams and Slade combined to score 13 of the team’s 18 points to cage the Cougars.
Mobley got hot in the fourth as she scored five points, while Jasmine Baker erupted for six fourth-quarter points but the Cougars could not overcome their own mistakes.
“We just made mental mistakes that cost us; bad passes, missed free throws, missed layups,” Cougars coach Greg Exum said. “Our effort was great. But we just have to stop making those little mistakes. I can’t be upset with the effort they gave, I was just upset with the mental mistakes.”

Northside    7    12    11    18    —    48
South Creek    12    8    10    14    —    44
Panthers (48)
Jordan Woolard 10, Alex Adams 15, Caroline Slade 16, Alligood 3, Franks 2, Whitney 2.
Cougars (44)
Kim Mobley 13, Purvis 4, Parker 8, Griffin 5, Jasmine Best 12, Baker 2.