CHESAPEAKE – Big game.

Friday, January 12, 2001

CHESAPEAKE – Big game. Big win. In a key Ohio Valley Conference game Thursday, the Chesapeake Lady Panthers rallied in the second half and edged the Rock Hill Redwomen 45-42.

Chesapeake is 5-6 overall and 1-1 in the OVC. Rock Hill is 8-3 and 1-1.

"We’re back in a position where we can control our own destiny," Chesapeake coach Chad Belville said.

"It was a great game and a huge win. I’m so proud of our girls. They just fought and fought. I’ve been around sports a long time and I’ve never seen a team put that much heart and emotion into a game. These girls are something special to me."

Chesapeake trailed 22-15 at the half but came back to tie the game at 33-33 by end of the third quarter.

That set up the thrilling finish.

Kim Frye hit an 18-footer with just over a minute to play that put Chesapeake up by two. Erin Sutphin sank a pair of free throws late that extended the lead to 44-41.

Rock Hill’s Miranda Edwards drained a 3-pointer, but Lisa Perry sank a free throw with five seconds left to seal the win.

"The fourth quarter we really stepped it up on defense. I told them before the game that defense would decide the game," Belville said. "And a big key was our free throw shooting at the end. Perry and Michelle Christian."

Six different players scored in the quarter for the Lady Panthers.

"You can’t point to just one player. It was a team effort," Belville said.

Ashley Mayenchein and Frye had 10 points each to pace a balanced Chesapeake attack.

Miranda Edwards finished with 14 points and Jordan Edwards 13 for the Redwomen.

"They held Sutphin to seven points and did a great job shutting her down, and we were down seven at the half. But the girls never quit and they didn’t stop believing in themselves," Belville said. "They took Erin out of the game offensively, but she did a good job of doing what she could."

Rock Hill 12 10 11 9 – 42

Chesapeake 8 7 18 12 – 45

ROCK HILL (8-3, 1-1): Miranda Edwards 2 2 4-8 14, Jordan Edwards 4 1 2-3 13, Mandy McDonie 2 0 3-6 7, Bobbie Clark 4 0 0-0 8, Ashley Harris 0 0 0-0 0, Rachel Hartwig 0 0 0-0 0, Mary Bamer 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 3 9-18 42. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Harris, Hartwig.

CHESAPEAKE (5-6, 1-1): Lisa Perry 1 1 3-5 8, Erin Sutphin 2 0 3-3 7, Michelle Elkins 2 0 0-0 4, Ashley Mayenchein 1 2 2-2 10, Emily Delimpo 1 0 0-0 2, Kim Frye 2 2 0-0 10, Michelle Christian 1 0 2-4 4, Jennifer Rice 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 10 5 10-15 45. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 10-14=24 (Sutphin 5, Delimpo 5, Frye 5). Assists: 12 (Perry 7). Steals: 9 (Perry 4, Mayenchein 3).