By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

CHESAPEAKE — The South Point Lady Pointers know what they do best, and they saved their best for last.

The Lady Pointers used their pressure defense to rally in the fourth quarter and beat the upset-minded Chesapeake Lady Panthers 51-40 Thursday in a showdown for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference.

‘We executed our game plan for three quarters. In the fourth quarter South Point did what South Point does. They kept the pressure on us and started to get some turnovers,” said Chesapeake coach Chris Ball.

“We weren’t executing in the fourth quarter, but give South Point credit for that.”

South Point is now 7-2 and 2-0 in the OVC. Chesapeake is 6-2 and 1-1.

The Lady Pointers had three players in double figures as Jalynn Bradburn and Allison Mitchell scored 12 points each and Kayla Fletcher had 11.

Chesapeake’s Amanda Ruffner led all scorers with 19 points. Sarah Mayo scored 11 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists.

Erin Dillow scored all eight of her points including a pair of 3-pointers as South Point took a 14-13 first quarter lead.

Ruffner scored eight points in the second quarter as Chesapeake tied the game 23-23 at the half.

Ruffner scored six points as Chesapeake took a 7-point lead with three minutes left in the thir quarter before the Lady Pointers rallied to within 34-32 at the end of the quarter.

Mayo was 5 of 6 from the line in the fourth quarter but Fletcher scored five points to help complete the comeback.

“We just ran out of gas. I was proud of our girls. Their press wore us down and we stopped executing,” said Ball.

South Point 14 9 9 19 = 51

Chesapeake 13 10 11 6 = 40

SOUTH POINT (7-2, 2-0): Allison Mitchell 5 0 2-2 12, Erin Dillow 1 2 0-0 8, Eryn Khounlavong 1 0 0-0 2, Angelica Stewart 2 0 0-4 2, Kayla Fletcher 4 0 3-4 11, Kim Bennett 0 0 2-2 2, Jalynn Bradburn 2 1 5-7 12, Totals: 15 3 12-19 51. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Mitchell, Dillow.

CHESAPEAKE (6-2, 2-1): Kristen Webb 0 1 0-2 3, Sarah Mayo 1 0 9-11 11, Amanda Ruffner 9 0 1-1 19, Jackie Nelson 3 0 0-0 6, Sarah Rice 0 0 0-0 0, Maggie Smith 0 0 0-0 0, Jordan Porter 0 0 1-2 1, Mackenzie Moore 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 1 11-16 40. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.