Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.
In a slow tempo game, the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers never got in a rhythm and the ball just didn’t roll their way in a 34-33 loss to the Chillicothe Lady Cavaliers.
Ironton (13-3) only scored 4 points in the fourth quarter to put itself in a hole and trailed 34-33 when a foul at the buzzer gave the Lady Tigers a chance to tie or win the game with no time on the clock.
But Samantha LaFon’s two free throw attempts didn’t get the roll and the Lady Cavaliers escaped with the win.
LaFon led Ironton with 17 points while Lexie Arden had 12 points.
Shawnice Smith scored 18 points while Julia Hall hit three 3-pointers for Chillicothe (6-11).
Ironton went up 8-7 in the first quarter as LaFon had 4 points and both Riley Schreck and Arden added a basket.
Smith hit a 3-pointer and scored all of Chillicothe’s points in the quarter.
Chillicothe got a pair of 3-poitners by Hall and 4 points from Smith to take a 17-12 halftime lead. LaFon had two baskets for Ironton’s total.
Arden scored 10 points in the third quarter as she hit a pair of trifectas and helped Ironton rally to take a 29-28 lead.
The fourth quarter scoring returned to a crawl as Smith hit a 3-pointer, Emma Fromm was 2-of-2 at the line and Jacey Hardin 1-of-2 to take the lead.
LaFon had all 4 of Ironton’s point in the quarter.
Ironton visits South Point on Thursday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
Chillicothe 7 10 11 6 = 34
Ironton 8 4 17 4 = 33
CHILLICOTHE (6-11): Zoe Ford 2 0 0-0 4, Julia Hall 0 3 0-0 9, Jacey Harding 0 0 1-2 1, Emma Fromm 0 0 2-2 2, Aries Barnes 0 0 0-1 0, Alysia Cunningham 0 0 0-0 0, Shawnice Smith 6 2 0-2 18, Avery Erslan 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 8 5 3-7 34. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None.
IRONTON (13-3): Riley Schreck 1 0 0-0 2, Samantha LaFon 6 0 5-8 17, Elli Williams 1 0 0-0 2, Kirsten Williams 0 0 0-0 0, Evan Williams 0 0 0-0 0, Lexie Arden 3 2 0-0 12. Totals: 8 2 5-10 33. Fouls: 5. Fouled out: None.