Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE — The Fairland Lady Dragons didn’t start well, so they made sure the River Valley Lady Raiders didn’t get started at all.

Leading only by 5 points after the first quarter, the Lady Dragons overcame some cold shooting and foul trouble to rout River Valley 68-24 Thursday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“We didn’t come out of the gate very well,” said Lady Dragons’ coach Jon Buchanan. “We had open shots and couldn’t finish. But we held it together. Chandler Fulks did a nice job of carrying us early when we were struggling.”

The Lady Raiders were just 7 of 36 form the field for 19.4 percent and they were guilty of 33 turnovers.

“We defended very well. We were happy about that,” said Buchanan.

Fairland (4-0, 1-0) led 12-7 after the first quarter but pulled away to a 29-14 halftime lead as Fulks scored 11 of her 15 points.

Terra Stapleton — who sat out most of the first half in foul trouble — scored 9 points in the third quarter as Fairland blitzed the Lady Raiders 21-4 and the lead ballooned to 50-18.

Buchanan emptied his bench early as 13 of the Lady Dragons’ 14 players scored in the game.

Besides Fulks, Stapleton had 13 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Mackenzie Riley also had 9 rebounds.

Jenna Fulks and Brianna Dickess had 5 rebounds each for Fairland. Kelsey Riley had 6 assists and Chandler Fulks 5 steals.

Fairland was 25 of 73 from the floor for 39 percent and just 3 of 17 from the 3-point line.

Chelsey Copley scored 11 for River Valley.

River Valley 7 7 4 6 = 24

Fairland 12 17 21 18 = 68

RIVER VALLEY (NA): Chelsey Copley 1-6 1-1 6-9 11, Shalin Comer 0-2 0-1 0-0 0, Courtney Smith 0-7 0-0 0-1 0, Ramsey Warren 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, Shelby Brown 1-3 0-0 2-8 4, Ashley Cheesebrew 0-2 0-0 0-0 0, Alexis Hurt 0-2 1-2 0-0 3, Ashley Gilmore 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Rachel Smith 0-4 0-0 0-0 0, Lindsey Canaday 0-1 0-1 0-0 0, Leia Moore 2-6 0-1 0-2 4. Totals: 7-36 8-20 24. 3-point goals: 2-6. Rebounds: 33 (Copley 6, Brown 5, Moore 5). Assists: 3. Steals: 2. Turnovers: 33. Blocked shots: 4 (Brown 3). Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.

FAIRLAND (4-0, 1-0): Haley Woodall 1-2 0-0 1-2 3, Terra Stapleton 4-7 0-0 5-5 13, Taylor Staten 2-4 1-5 0-0 7, Mollie Morris 1-3 0-0 0-0 2, Brianna Dickess 1-6 0-0 1-2 3, Chandler Fulks 3-5 2-6 3-4 15, Mackenzie Riley 3-7 0-0 1-2 7, Mariah Chaffin 1-2 0-1 0-0 2, Kelsey Riley 1-4 0-1 0-0 2, Caitlin Stone 1-6 0-2 2-2 4, Taylor Perry 2-6 0-1 1-2 5, Pieper Lewis 1-1 0-1 0-0 2, Jenna Fulks 1-3 0-0 1-2 3. Totals: 25-73 15-21 68. 3-point goals: 3-17. Rebounds: 57 (Stapleton 9, M. Riley 9, J. Fulks 5, Dickess 5). Assists: 13 (K. Riley 6). Steals: 19 (C. Fulks 5). Turnovers: 15. Blocked shots: 6 (Stapleton 5). Fouls: 21. Fouled out: None.