Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — Just call her Hay-three Stevens.
Haylee Stevens hit four 3-point goals and scored 19 points to lead the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers to a 50-41 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Fairland Lady Dragons on Monday.
“Haylee has put in the time and it shows. She’s constantly calling to get in the gym to shoot for 35 to 40 minutes and it’s paid off,” said Ironton coach Doug Graham.
“I can’t say enough about Williams. She takes coaching and doesn’t say a word. She just comes to practice and does her work.”
Stevens was also 7-of-7 at the foul line as Ironton erased a 4-for-21 free throw shooting performance in their first game and made 8-of-13 in the win.
Ellie Williams added 13 points as Ironton evened its record at 1-1 overall and in the OVC.
Allie Marshall scored 18 points to pace the Lady Dragons (0-2, 0-1).
Marshall scored the first five points of the game to put Fairland ahead at the 5:12 mark.
Ironton finally scored on a basket by Williams at the 4:24 mark and she hit another basket 18 seconds later and it was 5-4.
Stevens score at the 3:25 mark to give Ironton the lead for good and she knocked down a pair of trifectas for a 12-5 lead.
Abby Patterson pushed Ironton’s lead to 16-5 before Marshall scored with 55 seconds on the clock and hit another basket before the buzzer and it was 16-9.
“They were far more aggressive to start the game. Williams made a couple of baskets and Abby Patterson scored and that got us going,” said Graham.
“Riley Schreck played her best defensive game I’ve seen her play. Lydia played much better. Our players off the bench did a good job for us.”
The scoring slowed down to a crawl in the second quarter as Fairland cut the deficit to 21-17 at the break.
Williams’ triple and a basket by Stevens extended the lead to 26-17 and Lydia Hannan’s two fouls shots made it 28-17 with 6:26 left in the quarter.
Emma Marshall’s two foul shots and a 3-pointer by Jenna Stone got Fairland within 28-21 before Stevens drained another trifecta and it was 31-21.
Ironton was up 35-23 after a basket by Williams but two foul shots each by Harley Lyons and Allie Marshall made it 35-28.
Stevens hit another 3-pointer and it was 38-28 at the end of the quarter.
Fairland got within 42-38 with 1:38 to play on a 3-pointer by Stone, but Stevens hit a foul shot and Samantha LaFon sank two more and it was 45-38.
Bailey Roland’s 3-pointer closed the gap to 45-41 but LaFon’s basket, a free throw by Hannan and two foul shots by Williams with 39 seconds to play made it 50-41.
“The girls practiced hard and they played hard. They had some intense practices for the last four or five days. They earned this win,” said Graham.
On Thursday, Ironton hosts Gallipolis at Fairland entertains Coal Grove.
Ironton 16 5 17 12 = 50
Fairland 9 8 11 13 = 41
IRONTON (1-1, 1-1): Riley Schreck 1 1 0-0 5, Samantha LaFon 2 0 2-2 6, Lydia Hannan 1 0 3-4 5, Lilly Zornes 0 0 0-0 0, Ellie Williams 3 1 4-4 11, Kameren Arden 0 0 0-0 0, Haylee Stevens 3 4 7-7 19, Abby Patterson 2 0 0-0 4, Sophie Caines 0 0 0-0 0. Totals:12 6 8-13 50. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.
FAIRLAND (0-2, 0-1): Emma Marshall 1 0 2-4 4, Harley Lyons 0 0 2-2 2, Bailey Roland 0 1 0-0 3, Allie Marshall 3 1 9-10 18, Jessica King 0 0 0-0 0, Kelsie Warnock 1 0 1-2 3, Britany Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Jenna Stone 1 3 0-0 11, Miaa Howard 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 6 5 14-18 41. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.