JACKSON — All season the Jackson Ironladies have lived by the 3-point goal. Thursday the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers defense sucked the life out of Jackson’s offense.

Ironton’s pressure defense kept Jackson from shooting wide-open 3-pointers or caused them to rush their shots as the Lady Fighting Tigers posted a 40-25 win.

Jackson was only 4 of 19 from 3-point range and leading scorer Victoria Leali was held to half her scoring average as Ironton’s defense limited Jackson to a mere nine field goals and caused 15 turnovers.

“We played really aggressive defense. We haven’t been playing defense with this kind of consistent intensity for the past few weeks,” Ironton coach Amy Hughes said.

The win enabled Ironton to improve its record to 17-2. The Lady Fighting Tigers, ranked third in the Associated Press Division III poll, close out the regular season at noon Saturday as they host South Point.

Mandi Boykin had 13 points, three assists, seven rebounds and two steals to spark Ironton. Jessica Waddle had 10 points and six steals while Sara Hacker scored nine points. Ciara Taylor grabbed six rebounds.

Leali finished with 10 points, eight coming in the second half, as Jackson fell to 13-7.

Ironton began the game with a 6-0 run, but Jackson came back to tie the score at 6-6 when Leila followed up her own missed shot. Two foul shots by Waddle with 1:17 on the clock gave Ironton an 8-6 lead.

A 3-pointer by Brittany Christian gave Jackson its only lead of the game at 9-8 with 5:28 left in the half.

Driving to the basket led to three fouls and Ironton sank all six free throws — four by Boykin and two by Waddle — and it was 14-9. Waddle then had a steal and layup and Taylor’s layup with 1:26 on the clock pushed Ironton in front 18-9 at the half.

Kelly Smith sank the second of two foul shots for Jackson with 6:23 on the third quarter clock, but the Ironladies didn’t score again until Leali hit a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left in the quarter and it was 31-15. Hacker’s 15-footer just before the buzzer made it 33-15.

Ashley Spriggs and Leali hit back-to-back treys to start the fourth quarter before Hacker scorer to make it 35-21.

Leali and Smith hit baskets but a baseline jumper by Danielle Henderson and a 3-pointer by Hacker closed out the scoring.