Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE— If you play the Chesapeake Lady Panthers, you’re going to play against some physical defense.
The Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers matched that with their own tough defense as they beat the Lady Panthers 39-28 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.
Ironton was leading by four points at halftime and then held Chesapeake scoreless in the third quarter to clinch the win.
Samantha LaFon had a game-high 17 points to lead Ironton (9-3, 9-9). Haylee Stevens had nine points on three 3-pointers and Elli Williams added eight points.
Taylor Hicks scored nine points and Blake Anderson seven to pace the Lady Panthers (8-11, 5-6).
Ironton led 13-10 after the first quarter as Stevens drained a pair of trifectas and LaFon scored five points. Hicks had a 3-pointer and five points while Karli Davis added a trey to keep the Lady Panthers close.
LaFon had six points and Lydia Hannan two as Ironton outscored Chesapeake 8-7 in the second quarter to lead 21-17 at the break.
Hicks had a 3-pointer, Anderson a basket and Maddie Ward two foul shots to account for all the Chesapeake offense.
With the defense on lockdown in the third quarter, Williams had four points and Stevens nailed another trey and it was 31-17.
LaFon scored four points and Williams was 4-of-6 at the foul line in the fourth quarter to help offset five points by Anderson and a 3-pointer by Kandace Pauley for Chesapeake.
On Thursday, Ironton hosts South Point and Chesapeake entertains Coal Grove.
Ironton 13 8 10 8 = 39
Chesapeake 10 7 0 11 = 28
IRONTON (9-9, 9-3): Riley Schreck 0 0 0-2 0, Samantha LaFon 7 0 3-5 17, Lydia Hannan 1 0 1-3 3, Elli Williams 2 0 4-6 8, Kameren Arden 0 0 0-0 0, Haylee Stevens 0 3 0-2 9, Jada Rogers 0 0 0-0 0, Abigail Patterson 0 0 0-0 0, Sophie Caines 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 11 3 8-18 39. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.
CHESAPEAKE (8-11, 5-6): Kandace Pauley 0 1 0-2 3, Blake Anderson 2 0 3-4 7, Taylor Hicks 0 2 3-7 9, Corinne Ferguson 0 0 0-0 0, Sammie McComas 0 0 0-0 0, Maddie Ward 1 0 2-4 4, Lexi Stapleton 0 0 2-2 2, Karli Davis 0 1 0-0 3. Totals: 3 4 10-19 28. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Pauley.