Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — When your legs won’t let you do what you usually do, you have to go to Plan B.
Enter Plan B: Kaleigh Murphy.
With the Huntington Ross defense focused on Addi Dillow, Murphy asserted herself as she scored 19 points to help the Coal Grove Lady Hornets to a 59-55 win over the Lady Huntsmen on Friday.
“Back-to-back games without a starter who was hurt, we had some tired legs and were not able to apply the pressure that we are used to applying,” said Lady Hornets coach Rick Roach whose team was missing 3-point shooter and point guard Abbey Hicks.
“We had open shot after open shot that wouldn’t fall early in the game. Murphy realized that she was able to score and it changed the flow of the game.”
Dillow and Murphy combined for 11 points as Coal Grove (18-1) took a 15-12 first quarter lead. Allison Bayse scored 8 points for Ross (5-7).
Holding Dillow scoreless in the second quarter limited the Lady Hornets to just 7 points but the Coal Grove defense held Ross to 9 and the lead was 22-21 at the half.
Dillow came out strong in the third quarter with 8 points while Kelsey Fraley and Murphy each hit 3-pointers and Jaidyn Griffith added 4 points as Coal Grove scored 19 and it was 41-39.
Bayse scored 13 points in the fourth quarter and the Lady Huntsmen were 6-of-7 from the line in the fourth quarter, but Murphy hit a trey and scored 5 points while Dillow came up clutch with 9 points including 7-of-8 at the foul line to secure tthe win.
Dillow still finished with 23 points while Bayse had a game-high 31 points for Ross.
“Bayse decided she wanted to make it game and she did. She is a tough player. They used a box-and-one on Dillow the entire game, but she did a great job down the stretch sealing the deal the free throw line,” said Roach.
Hunt. Ross 12 9 19 16 = 55
Coal Grove 15 7 19 18 = 59
HUNTINGTON ROSS (5-7): Allison Bayse 14 0 3-4 31, Carly Dyer 0 0 0-0 0, McKenna Thompson 1 1 0-0 5, Megan Steele 3 1 0-2 9, Katie Hirsch 2 0 2-2 6, Emma Hinshaw 2 0 1-2 5. Totals: 22 2 6-10 55. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.
COAL GROVE (18-1): Kelsey Fraley 0 1 0-0 3, Elli Holmes 2 0 0-0 2, Addi Dillow 8 0 7-8 23, Laura Hamm 0 0 0-0 0, Kaleigh Murphy 5 2 3-4 19, Rylee Harmon 2 0 0-1 4, Kenadee Keaton 0 0 2-2 2, Jaidyn Griffith 2 0 0-0 4. Totals: 17 3 12-15 59. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.