By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — Maybe the Rock Hill Redwomen are art lovers.

The Redwomen ran their final play just as it was drawn as they rallied to edge the Coal Grove Lady Hornets 38-36 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Thursday.

Rock Hill was down 36-35 with 26 seconds to play. J’lynn Risner got a rebound and made the putback and was fouled. She hit the free throw with 9 seconds left for a 2-point lead.

The Redwomen fouled but the Lady Hornets missed both shots and Rock Hill got the rebound and time ran out.

“I love it because our team listens,” said Rock Hill coach Eric Bailey. “We drew up the play and I loved it because we ran the play as we drew it up. J’lynn hit the shot and then she made the free throw. That was big.”

Bailey was proud of his team and how it handled the slow-down tactics of the Lady Hornets.

“You can try all kinds of way to beat us, but we seen a lot of different styles and we’re learning how to win at the end. Teams try to run, they try to stall, and you have to find a way to win,” said Bailey.

Kelsey Fraley, Autum Hicks, Kenadee Keaton and Kinsey Keeney all had 2 points for the Lady Hornets as they token 8-4 first quarter lead.

Hope Easterling and Lola Hankins had baskets for Rock Hill (13-5, 10-1).

Keeney hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points and Alivia Noel scored 4 points to account for all of Coal Grove’s points and the lead was 17-13 at the half.

Hadyn Bailey drilled a 3-pointer, Hazley Matthews scored 4 points and Hankins got a bucket for Rock Hill’s total.

Each team scored 10 points in the third quarter as Coal Grove (10-8, 3-8) held onto its lead at 27-23.

Keeney had 5 points, Noel 3 and Keaton 2 for Coal Grove and Matthews 6 and Easterling 4 for the Redwomen.

But Rock Hill rallied in the fourth quarter to outscored Coal Grove 15-9 including the winning total by Risner.

Matthews hit a key 3-pointer and 2 free throws, Risner had 5 points, Bailey and Easterling 2 each and Hankins added a free throw.

Keaton scored 4 points, Hicks 3 and Fraley 2 for the Lady Hornets.

“Winning’ isn’t easy. Winning is hard when you play as many games on the road as we have and against a hard schedule,” said coach Bailey. “We’ve lived on the road and we’ve played hard game.”

Matthews scored a game-high 15 points to lead Rock Hill while Easterling added 8.

Keeney had 12 points and Keaton scored 8 for the Lady Hornets.

Rock Hill    4 9 10 15 = 38

Coal Grove 8 9 10 9 = 36

ROCK HILL (13-5, 10-1): Hadyn Bailey 1 1 0-0 5, Hope Easterling 4 0 0-2 8, Hazley Matthews 5 1 2-2 15, Haleigh Risner 0 0 0-0 0, J’lynn Risner 2 0 1-1 5, Lola Hankins 2 0 1-2 5. Totals: 14 2 4-7 38. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.

COAL GROVE (10-8, 3-8): Kelsey Fraley 2 0 0-0 4, Kinsey Keeney 3 1 3-6 12, Alivia Noel 2 0 3-4 7, Autum Hicks 2 0 1-2 5, Kenadee Keaton 4 0 0-0 8, Jenna Hicks 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 1 7-12 36. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None.