The Chesapeake Panthers are getting the hang of this thing called defense.

Chesapeake’s defense held an opponent under 50 points for the fourth straight game as the Panthers beat the Coal Grove Hornets 54-45 Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

The Panthers maintained their one-game lead in the league race with the win. Chesapeake is 11-3 overall and 5-1 in the OVC, one game ahead of Fairland.

“Our defense played well again,” said Panthers coach Ryan Davis. “This was a big win. It’s tough to win on the road and it was a big conference win. We stay in first place.”

Kyle Webb and Nathan Copley scored 18 points each for the Panthers while Trent Saunders added 10.

Wayne Sparks scored 14 to lead a balanced Coal Grove offense. Eric Edens and Evan Ferguson had nine each.

Copley scored eight points in the first quarter as Chesapeake took a 14-12 lead. Sparks had eight of his points in the quarter.

Chesapeake held Coal Grove to eight points in the second quarter to take a 27-20 halftime lead.

The Hornets actually took their only lead of the game in the quarter at 16-15, but the Panthers closed the half with a 12-4 run.

The lead was 38-30 after three quarters and Webb had seven points in the fourth quarter as Chesapeake led by as many as 14 points.

The Panthers were 6-of-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter as Webb and Peter Hintz each converted 3-of-4.

The Panthers play at Madison Scott, Ky., High School on Saturday.

Chesapeake 14 13 11 16 = 54

Coal Grove 12 8 10 15 = 45

CHESAPEAKE (11-3, 5-1): Kyle Webb 3 1 9-12 18, Nathan Copley 4 3 1-2 18, Trent Saunders 5 0 0-1 10, Peter Hintz 2 0 3-4 7, Matt Angle 0 0 1-2 1, Colton Lindsey 0 0 0-0 0, Travis Zimmerman 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14 4 14-21 54. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Angle.

COAL GROVE (8-7, 2-4): Wayne Sparks 7 0 0-1 14, Eric Edens 3 1 0-0 9, Evan Ferguson 2 1 2-4 9, Shannon Goodwin 3 0 0-1 6, Dane Haukedahl 1 0 1-1 3, Cody Damron 1 0 0-0 2, Devin Monnier 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 18 2 3-7 45. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Monnier.