Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — Lexi Wise understands that the past is the past and you have to live in the moment.
Wise hadn’t made a field goal and had missed all four free throw attempts during Saturday’s game against the Chesapeake Lady Panthers.
But she made the present moment count as she sank two free throws with 15 seconds to play that gave the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers a 43-42 win and the Division III sectional title.
“I told the girls win by one or win by 20, the name of the game (during tournament time) is to advance,” said Ironton coach Doug Graham.
Ironton (18-5) now plays at 8 p.m. Thursday at Waverly’s downtown arena against Southeastern in the district semifinals.
Ironton was led by Lexie Arden with 15 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Sydney Webb scored 11 points and Wise had seven rebounds.
Chesapeake (14-9) was led by Natalee Hall with 17 points — 12 in the second half. Dominique Murphy had 12 points.
“Natalee Hall is a tough player,” said Graham.
Arden hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter and put Ironton up 37-30. She later blocked a shot, got the rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup and a 39-31 lead.
But Chesapeake kept coming back as Jozy Jones had a layup and three-point play and Hall got a put-back to cut the deficit to 39-38.
Arden and Hall traded baskets and then Hall had a steal and layup that put the Lady Panthers ahead 42-41 with 35 seconds to play.
Ironton missed a shot but Wise got the rebound and was fouled shooting. She made the free throws to put the Lady Tigers back on top.
The Lady Panthers went to Hall for the win but the defense swarmed her to force a miss.
“We guarded it,” said Graham.
Ironton used 3-pointers by Webb and Riley Schreck and a three-point play by Arden to begin the game with a 9-0 lead.
But Chesapeake went on a 10-2 run to end the quarter and it was 11-10.
Hall knocked down a 3-pointer to start the second quarter and give Chesapeake a 13-11 lead.
But Webb turned a steal into a layup and then followed up a missed shot as Ironton went back on top. Haylee Stevens hit another basket and the Lady Tigers were up 17-13.
A layup by Murphy cut the Ironton lead to 17-15 but Arden’s layup, Webb’s steal and layup and Arden’s triple completed the 10-2 run and it was 24-15.
Murphy hit a 3-pointer to halt the run but Alyssa Lewis hit her own long range shot at the buzzer and the Lady Fighting Tigers were up 27-18 at the break.
“We got up and extended and played hard and made them uncomfortable. Our defense is where we got that run in the second quarter,” said Graham.
Chesapeake got within three points on two occasions in the third quarter. Taiya Hamlet got three points to put Ironton up 34-28 before Hall’s layup made it 34-30 at the end of the quarter.
The game marked the third meeting this season between the two Ohio Valley Conference teams. Ironton won both games, 35-31 and 47-32.
Chesapeake    10    8    12    12    =    42
Ironton       11    16    7    9    =    43
CHESPEAKE (14-9): Karli Davis 0 0 0-0 0, Haley Stapleton 1 0 0-0 2, Brooke Webb 2 0 0-2 4, Jozy jones 2 0 3-5 7, Natalee Hall 7 1 0-0 17, Dominique Murphy 3 1 3-4 12. Totals: 17-37 6-11 42. 3-point goals: 2-6. Rebounds: 11-O, 15-D – 26 (Joens 6, Hall 6, Webb 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 2. Turnovers: 26. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.
IRONTON (18-5): Sydney Webb 4 1 0-0 11, Lexi Wise 0 0 2-6 2, Alyssa Lewis 2 1 0-1 7, Riley Schreck 0 1 0-0 3, Lexie Arden 4 2 1-3 15, Taiya Hamlet 1 0 1-2 3, Haylee Stevens 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 17-41 4-12 43. 3-point goals: 5-10. Rebounds: 10-O, 14-D = 25 (Wise 7, Arden 6, Hamlet 4). Team/deadball rebounds: 2. Turnovers: 23. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.