Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers were hot, and Lexie Arden lit the flame.
Arden scored a career-high 27 points as the Lady Fighting Tigers rolled past the Coal Grove Lady Hornets 77-39 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Thursday.
Arden — a 5-foot-11 freshman — was 12-of-16 from the field to lead four starters in double figures. Ironton was 32-of-58 from the floor as a team for 55.2 percent.
Lexi Wise scored 13 points while Sydney Webb and Alyssa Lewis had 12 points each for Ironton (9-3, 6-1).
Emily Compliment scored 16 points to lead the Lady Hornets (8-4, 3-3) who were 15-of-43 from the field for 35 percent.
Arden scored 12 points in the first quarter as Ironton took a 19-10 lead.
Compliment scored five points to keep the Lady Hornets within striking distance.
But Ironton’s defense held Coal Grove to six points in the second quarter and the offense went to work with 23 points to build a 42-16 halftime cushion.
Webb scored nine points including a 3-pointer while Arden and Wise also hit triples.
Arden scored nine points and Alyssa Lewis had six points as the lead ballooned to 65-32 at the end of the third quarter.
Riley Schreck scored five points as she and Arden each hit trifectas in the fourth quarter. Compliment scored nine points for the Lady Hornets.
Ironton visits Alexander on Saturday while Coal Grove hosts Lincoln County on Monday.
Coal Grove    10    6    13    10    =    39
Ironton       19    23    23    12    =    77
COAL GROVE (8-4, 3-3): Bailee McKnight 0 0 0-0 0, Kylie Deer 0 0 1-2 1, Emily Compliment 5 2 0-0 16, Kasey Murphy 3 0 1-1 7, Destiny Dolen 2 1 0-0 7, Lauren Crum 1 1 3-4 8, Emileigh Bryant 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15-43 5-7 39. 3-point goals: 4. Fouls: 7. Fouled out: None.
IRONTON (9-3, 6-1): Lexi Wise 4 1 2-4 13, Sydney Webb 2 2 2-2 12, Alyssa Lewis 5 0 2-2 12, Taiya Hamlet 3 0 0-0 6, Lexie Arden 0 3 0-0 27, Riley Schreck 1 1 0-0 5, Haylee Stevens 1 0 0-0 2, Katie Boyer 0 0 0-0 0, Elli Williams 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 32-58 6-8 77. 3-point goals: 7. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.