COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Lady Hornets need to change writers and get someone who can give them a better ending.

The Lady Hornets were locked in a dead heat with the Wayne Lady Pioneers until the fourth quarter rolled around and the West Virginia team began to pull away to a 56-44 win on Saturday.

“We knew they were good. We were up three at the half and they extended their defense and pressured us the whole second half,” said Lady Hornets’ coach Nick Miller.

“It was tied and then things just got away from us in the fourth quarter.”

Coal Grove went up 12-9 in the first quarter as Kelsey Fraley scored 4 points and Kaleigh Murphy knocked down a trey.

Jasmine Tabor had 4 points and Mikayla Stacy hit a 3-pointer for Wayne.

Murphy bombed in two more 3-pointers and Elli Holmes made a couple of baskets for a 24-21 lead at the break.

Laneigh Brooks dropped in a pair of 3-pointers in the quarter for Wayne and Tabor added 4 more points.

Four different players scored and Wayne rallied to tie the game at 32-all in the third quarter as the Coal Grove offense started to cool with just 8 points, 6 by Murphy and a basket by Abbey Hicks.

The Lady Pioneers’ offense took off in the fourth quarter as Tabor had two more 3-pointers, Addison Adkins hit a trey and Stacy scored 8 points including 4-of-4 at the foul line.

Wayne was 7-of-7 from the free throw line with Adkins going 2-for-2 and Brooke Adkins had one as she converted a 3-point play.

Murphy hit her fourth 3-pointer and scored 5 points while Hicks drained a triple, but the Lady Hornets saw the Lady Pioneers pull away to the win.

“Wayne had just two losses in a Tennessee tournament early in the season. They will have a nice tournament run,” said Miller. “We have to learn to deal with the pressure going into the tournament.”

Murphy scored a game-high 20 points to lead Coal Grove (14-7).

Tabor scored 14 points, Stacy 13 and Laneigh Brooks 10 for Wayne (15-2).

Wayne             9   12   11   24   =   56

Coal Grove   12   12    8   12   =   44

WAYNE: (15-2): Jasmine Taylor 4 2 0-0 14, Addison Adkins 1 1 3-4 8, Brooke Adkins 4 0 1-1 9, Laneigh Brooks 2 2 0-0 10, Mikayla Stacy 3 1 4-4 13, Cheyenne Williams 0 0 0-0 0, Evelyn Brown 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 21-64 8-9 56. 3-pt goals: 6. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None.

COAL GROVE: (14-7): Kelsey Fraley 2 0 2-2 6, Elli Holmes 3 0 1-4 7, Kinsey Keeney 0 0 0-0 0, Alivia Noel 0 0 0-0 0, Addi Hicks 0 0 0-0 0, Kaleigh Murphy 4 4 0-0 20, Abbey Hicks 2 1 0-0 7, Rylee Harmon 2 0 0-0 4, Kenadee Keaton 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-48 3-6 44. 3-pt goals: 5. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.