Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE — Chesapeake coach Chris Ball saw the plus side, but it couldn’t erase the negative side.

Ball was pleased with the play of his team, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Athens Lady Bulldogs as the Lady Panthers fell 49-39 Saturday in the NAPA Carecenter Classic.

“We knew coming in it would be an uphill battle. They’re one of the better teams in Southern Ohio. We competed well, which is a positive, but we still lost,” said Ball.

Leading scorer Jordan Porter missed more than half the game in foul trouble and had just 4 points. The Lady Panthers’ second top scorer Sydnee Hall scored just 3 points.

But Jackie Nelson scored 17 points and also had 4 steals. Hall had 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, and Kelsey Curry had 5 rebounds and a pair of steals.

“If you had told me (Sydnee) Hall and (Jordan) Porter would have a combined 7 points, I would have said we were in trouble,” said Ball.

“But Jackie Nelson shot it well. She had a break-out game and Atija Spaulding and Kelsey Curry played well underneath.”

Oliva Harris scored 14 points and Dominique Doseck 13 for Athens (10-1).

Athens led 7-4 after the first quarter. Nelson had all of Chesapeake’s points.

The Lady Bulldogs outscored Chesapeake 13-10 in the second quarter to lead 20-14 at the half.

Harris hit a pair of 3- pointers in the third quarter to extend the lead to 35-21.

Chesapeake rallied in the fourth quarter as Nelson scored 11 points and Curry got 5, but Doseck had 6 points to halt the comeback.

Chesapeake 4 10 7 18 = 39

Athens 7 13 15 14 = 49

CHESAPEAKE (7-4): Kelsey Curry 2 1 0-0 7, Atiya Spaulding 2 0 0-0 4, Kaylee Curry 0 0 0-0 0, Jackie Nelson 4 3 0-0 17, Taylor Martin 0 0 0-0 0, Anna Mayo 1 0 2-2 4, Sydnee Hall 1 0 1-2 3, Jordan Porter 1 0 2-2 4. Totals: 11 4 5-6 39. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Porter.

ATHENS (10-1): Brooke Kemerer 0 0 1-2 1, Oliva Harris 2 3 1-2 14, Elyse Lutz 0 0 0-0 0, Dominique Doseck 5 1 0-1 13, Hannah DeBruin 1 0 1-2 3, Olivia Hoon 2 0 2-4 6, Sara Skinner 0 0 0-0 0, Natalie Coschigano 2 0 1-1 5, Emma Stanley 3 0 1-2 7. Totals: 15 4 7-14 49. Fouls: 7. Fouled out: None.