Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WHEELERSBURG — Quit is a simple four-letter word, but the South Point Lady Pointers don’t seem to know the meaning of it.
Trailing by as many as 12 points, South Point rallied to stun the Wheelersburg Lady Pirates 37-35 on Saturday.
“It was a total team effort,” said Lady Pointers’ coach Dave Adams. “We got down 12 in the third but never quit. We got stops and made shots down the stretch.”
The Lady Pointers trailed by two with a minute to play when Diamond Crawley hit a 3-pointer to put them in front for the first time.
Wheelersburg missed a shot and Emilee Carey got the rebound with four seconds left and was fouled.
Carey made the front end of a one-and-one to lead 37-35 and Wheelersburg was unable to get off a shot after the rebound.
Ellie Kallner scored all five of her points in the first quarter as Wheelersburg took a 9-2 lead. Carey had the lone basket in the quarter for South Point.
Emilee Whitt scored seven points in the second quarter as she and Carey both hit 3-pointers and the Lady Pointers trailed 16-12 at the half.
Alaina Keeney scored four points and Kaylee Darnell had a 3-pointer for the Lady Pirates in the quarter.
Wheelersburg pulled away to a 31-24 lead in the third quarter as Darnell hit a pair of 3-poitners and scored 10 points. Carey made two trifectas and Maddy Khounlavong hit a 3-pointer and scored five points to keep South Point close.
South Point’s defense held the Lady Pirates to only four points in the fourth quarter as they began their comeback.
Carey had 14 points and Whitt 10 points and six rebounds to lead the Lady Pointers (11-3).
Wheelersburg (12-4) was paced by Darnell with 19 points.
South Point visits Fairland on Thursday.
South Point 2 10 12 13 = 37
Wheelersburg 9 7 15 4 = 35
SOUTH POINT (11-3): Emilee Whitt 2 2 0-1 10, Sarah Roach 0 0 0-0 0, Maddy Khounlavong 0 1 4-6 7, Emilee Carey 2 3 1-2 14, Diamond Crawley 1 1 0-0 5, Kate Mundy 0 0 0-0 0, Ashley Perkey 0 0 1-2 1. Totals: 12-34-33 6-11 37. 3-pt goals: 7-15. Rebounds: 6-O, 13-D = 19 (Perkey 7, Whitt 6). Assists: 6 (Khounlavong 2). Steals: 5 (Whitt 2, Carey 2). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 6. Fouled out: None.
WHEELERSBURG (12-4): Lauren Jolly 0 0 0-0 0, Abbie Kallner 0 1 0-0 3, Lani Irwin 0 0 0-0 0, Alaina Keeney 4 0 0-0 8, Karlie Estep 0 0 0-0 0, Ellie Kallner 1 1 0-1 5, Kaylee Darnell 5 3 0-0 19. Totals: 15-41 0-1 35. 3-pt goals: 5-23. Rebounds: 6-O, 8-D = 14. Assists: 1. Steals: 1. Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 7. Fouled out; None.