SOUTH POINT — Let’s cut to the chase.

In this case it means chasing the leader and one of the teams getting chased for now is the South Point Lady Pointers.

South Point won an early showdown with the Coal Grove Lady Hornets 54-52 Thursday in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.

The two teams came into the season as favorites for the league title. They shared the title last season.

“It’s a big win because it’s early in season and you don’t want to get behind and keep chasing them the rest of the year. I told the girls they didn’t want to be the ones who were chasing,” said Lady Pointers coach Dave Adams.

Sarah Lee scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Lady Pointers (3-1) with T’Ann Mayo scoring 15 points.

Chelsea Markins had 22 points and Samantha Hall 16 to lead the Lady Hornets (2-1).

Coal Grove took a 17-16 lead at the end of the fist quarter despite 8 points by Mayo.

Lee and Mayo combined for 9 points in the second quarter as South Point went up 26-23, but a 3-pointer by Markins with time running out tied the game at the break.

Hall sank two foul shots to start third quarter and Adams called a timeout.

“I called timeout to get them back on track. I told them first three minutes be key and we needed to get back on track,” Adams said.

The pep talk worked as Lee scored 8 points and South Point opened up a 43-36 lead.

But Markins drained a pair of 3-pointers and connected on 3 of 4 from the foul line as Coal Grove battled back to tie the game.

Lee drove to the basket from the wing, then dumped the ball to Vanessa Rogers for a layup with 8 seconds left and South Point had a 54-52 lead.

Coal Grove missed two shots in the closing seconds as South Point held on.

“Vanessa played some really good defense and Lee had a big game. And Mayo played well. It was pretty balanced,” Adams said.

Coal Grove1791016=52

South Point16101711=54

COAL GROVE (2-1, 0-1): Tiffaney Wallace 1 0 0-0 2, Samantha Zornes 0 0 0-0 0, Brittany Harrison 0 0 1-3 1, Danielle Carpenter 1 0 0-0 2, Jordyn Cox 0 2 1-2 7, Taylor Sexton 1 0 0-0 2, Chelsea Markins 2 3 9-12 22, Samantha Hall 7 0 2-3 16. Totals: 12

5

13-20

52. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.

SOUTH POINT (3-1, 1-0):

Missy Wheeler 1 0 0-0 2, Caymie Collier 0 0 0-0 0, T’Ann Mayo 4 1 4-5 15, Vanessa Rogers 1 0 1-2 3, Sarah Lee 8 0 1-1 17, Ericka Leighty 3 0 1-5 7, Raven Blake 4 0 0-2 8, Chelsea Damron 0 0 0-0 0, Tinesha Taylor 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 22

1

7-15

54. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.