Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — Credit some 3s for the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers winning their third straight Ohio Valley Conference title.
Sydney Webb hit four 3-pointers and scored a season-high 24 points and Ironton made seven 3-point goals in a 49-38 win over the Coal Grove Lady Hornets on Thursday.
Ironton finished the regular season 17-5 and tied Fairland for the OVC championship with 13-1 records.
Fairland beat Chesapeake 42-37 to earn its share of the title.
Lexi Wise had 15 points for Ironton as she hit a 3-pointer and went 4-of-6 from the foul line. Alyssa Lewis added eight points with a pair of 3-pointers as the Lady Tigers played without leading scorer and rebounder Lexie Arden.
“I’m so proud of my girls. They had to win to get a share of the league and we were without Lexie Arden and they fought through all the adversity,” said Ironton coach Doug Graham.
“We set our goals at the beginning of the season and one of them was to win the league and we did that. We knew Coal Grove would play us tough and but our girls played hard and made plays the whole game.”
Coal Grove (11-10, 6-8) was led by Destiny Dolen with 15 points while Emily Compliment added nine points.
Webb buried three trifectas and scored all of the Lady Tigers’ points in the first quarter as they took an 11-7 lead.
Compliment scored five points as she and Bailee McKnight hit 3-pointers and the Lady Hornets cut the deficit to 22-19 at the half.
Webb scored seven more points in the quarter to keep Ironton in front.
Wise went to work in the third quarter as she scored 10 of her points. Webb had four more points and Lewis drained a 3-pointer as Ironton opened up a 39-26 lead.
Wise was 3-of-4 and Lewis 2-of-2 from the foul line in the fourth quarter as Ironton maintained its lead. Lewis hit her second 3-pointer and Webb added two more points.
Wise was 3-of-4 and Lewis 2-of-2 from the foul line in the fourth quarter as Ironton maintained its lead. Lewis hit her second 3-pointer and Webb added two more points.
Dolen had five points and McKnight knocked down a triple as Coal Grove tried to mount a comeback.
In the sectional tournament at Rock Hill, Coal Grove faces Lucasville Valley on Wednesday at 8 p.m. with the winner advancing to the 4:30 p.m. game on Saturday against Wheelersburg.
Ironton will play Chesapeake at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Ironton       11    11    17    10    =    49
Coal Grove    7    12    7    12    =    38
IRONTON (16-5, 12-1): Sydney Webb 6 4 0-0 24, Lexi Wise 4 1 4-6 15, Alyssa Lewis 0 2 2-2 8, Riley Schreck 1 0 0-0 2, Taiya Hamlet 0 0 0-0 0, Katie Boyer 0 0 0-0 0, Haylee Stevens 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 11 7 6-8 49. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.
COAL GROVE (11-9, 6-7): Bailee McKnight 0 2 0-0 6, Kylie Deer 0 0 0-0 0, Emily Compliment 3 1 0-5 9, Kasey Murphy 1 0 0-1 2, Destiny Dolen 5 0 5-5 15, Lauren Crum 1 1 1-2 6. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.