ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Westover girls basketball coach Lewis Smith does not enjoy losing a game.
But moments after his Lady Patriots team lost for the first time this season, Smith was finding the positives.
Westover's bid for a perfect regular season was denied by archrival Monroe.
Lady Tornadoes held off a furious Westover rally to win 51-48 at Darton College.
The loss is the first in 24 games for Westover who has just one more game left in the regular season.
Coach Smith says the winning streak was becoming a distraction for his team.
The Lady Patriots have already clinched the top seed in next week's region tournament.
And after what happened in last year's region tournament, coach Smith wants his team focused on what is really important this season.
Lewis Smith said. "It hurt losing Monroe a cross town rival but at the same time it gets us refocused on our major goal. Being region and state champs."
Westover closes out the regular season Friday night at Americus-Sumter.
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