By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

GALLIPOLIS — The Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers saved their best for last.

Trailing throughout the game, Ironton outscored Gallipolis in the fourth quarter and rallied to beat the Blue Angels 44-43 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Lola Hankins scored 19 points and kept Ironton within striking distance.

Emerson White — who scored 14 points — and Peyton Deer combined for 14 points as Ironton outscored Gallipolis 18-13.

Mallory Petro had 4 points and Taylor Barnes hit a 3-pointer as Gallipolis (1-2, 0-1) took a 12-8 first quarter lead.

Hankins hit a 3-pointer and had 5 points for Ironton.

Kenya Peck scored 7 points in the second quarter as the Blue Angels held onto a 22-19 halftime lead.

Hankins drained a pair of treys and scored 10 of Ironton’s 11 points in the quarter.

Peck had 5 points in the third quarter as the lead went to 30-26.

Peyton Deer nailed a 3-pointer and White added 3 points for the Lady Tigers in the quarter.

But in the fourth quarter, Ironton began to find the range as White scored 9 points and Deer had 5 more. Deer, White and Hankins all hit from behind the arc in the quarter as Ironton outscored Gallipolis 18-13.

Peck — who led Gallipolis with 20 points — had 5 more points.

Ironton    8 11 7 18 = 44

Gallipolis 12 10 8 13 = 43

IRONTON (1-1, 1-1): Peyton Deer 1 2 0-0 8, Lola Hankins 3 4 1-5 19, Addison Neal 0 0 0-0 0, Lexi McCall 1 0 0-0 2, Jolee Hankins 0 0 1-2 1, Emerson White 3 1 5-12 14. Totals: 8 7 7-19 44. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: Neal, McCall.

GALLIPOLIS (0-1, 0-1): Chloe Bennett 1 0 1-1 3, Ryen Nunn 1 0 1-2 3, Taylor Barnes 0 1 2-4 5, Mallory Petro 2 0 4-4 8, Aleesha Jordan 0 0 0-0 0, Loulea Walker 1 0 2-2 4, Kenya Peck 8 0 4-8 20. Totals: 13 1 12-21 43. Fouls: 16. Fouled out None.