PINETOWN — The road continues to be bumpy one for Northside. A 67-52 defeat at the hands of non-conference foe First Flight on Wednesday was the third in a row for the Lady Panthers.

There are small wins to build on, though. Kendall Alligood returned to the lineup for the first time since the passing of her mother on Jan. 15. The team had buttons made honoring “Momma Lindabear” and played with all the passion she would expect.

The visiting Lady Nighthawks jumped out to a 25-5 lead after the first quarter. Northside settled in and made it a game, despite coming up short.

“First Flight would pass and we wouldn’t jump to the ball,” coach Michelle Leathers said. “We haven’t practiced for two weeks. That plays a part. I don’t make excuses for anybody, but we had a rhythm and then we had exams. But we’re working on out game. … I’m still proud of my team.”

Northside’s biggest improvement since meeting First Flight in the season opener has been team chemistry. As the girls spent more time on the court with one another, their game improved significantly. They stumbled out of the gate against tough opponents in the Lady Nighthawks and Washington, but have since rebounded to beat the likes of South Creek, Jones Senior and Bear Grass.

“We knew each other a lot better,” Leathers said. “At the beginning of the season, we were just getting to know each other. The majority of the team played volleyball, so we were just getting off that. We look more together than when we first played them.”

The team looked better as Wednesday’s game went on, too. Northside improved its scoring in each quarter. The game could have been a lot more lopsided than a 15-point difference after the first, but the resilient Lady Panthers stayed in it.

“We’ve got a lot of heart,” Leathers said. “We’re playing through a lot of things and trying to stay focused, taking it one game at a time. It shows our strength as a team. We don’t have to count on one person.

“We’ve got five people on the floor. Any given night, someone might have a good game. Quortasia (Clark) had a good game and Kendall came in in the second half and she’s like the sparkplug of the team. It just showed a lot of heart.”

Leathers said that Alligood called her and wanted to play.

“She’s just a warrior. She’s strong and it’s something she wanted to do,” Leathers said. “It’s her being Kendall.”

The Northside faithful applauded her spirit. The fans erupted with each basket and free throw she made. They also gave her a standing ovation when she went off in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Panthers hosted Manteo on Thursday. They will aim to double up on Bear Grass Monday at home.