The women’s basketball team notched its third win in a row Wednesday night against the SBU Bearcats.

The winning streak comes on the heels of a stretch that saw the Lions drop three in a row, a skid that included a road loss to the same SBU team.

The Lions defeated the Bearcats by a mark of 65-53, largely due to the Lions’ lockdown perimeter defense; the Bearcats shot just 11 percent from downtown.

Going back to last Wednesday, the Lions played in just their second overtime game of the year. Despite shooting poorly for the majority of the game, the Lions rallied and got the win in overtime.

“The most exciting part of the Northwest game was how poorly we shot the ball, yet still found a way to win,” said Head Coach Ronda Hubbard. “Kudos to Northwest for the game plan as it was something we hadn’t seen before. The mark of a good team is simply finding a way to win on an ‘off’ night. The MIAA will expose you and humble you.”

Next, the Lions faced Missouri Western on the road. Western stuck around for most of the game, but the Lions proved to be too much for them to handle. Junior guard Nicole Hartzog and senior forward Dominique Mosley provided a spark off the bench for the Lions.

Hartzog scored 16 points in just 20 minutes, including 13 free throws. Mosley shot 60 percent from the field for 15 points.

“Personally, I don’t really view Nicole or Domo as anything less than two significant contributors to our overall team success,” said Hubbard. “I truly do not look at ‘starters’ vs. ‘subs’ or ‘bench players.’ I look at certain combinations that play well together.”

Looking forward, the Lions will host rival Pittsburg State at 1 p.m. Friday.

The Gorillas come to Southern with the momentum of a nine-game winning streak at their back. Pitt State is 20-6 on the season, while the Lions sit at 17-6.