Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE— This game lived up to its billing.
With first place in the Ohio Valley Conference on the line, everyone expected Monday’s game to be an exciting battle and it was as the Fairland Lady Dragons slipped past the Coal Grove Lady Hornets 54-49 in overtime.
With the win, Fairland climbed into a first-place tie with Coal Grove along with South Point who beat Portsmouth. All three teams are 7-2 in the conference.
Coal Grove’s defense held Fairland to only five points in the fourth quarter.
Allie Marshall started the fourth quarter with a basket to make it 44-36 but Coal Grove began its comeback as Addi Dillow and Kaleigh Murphy scored and Lauren Crum’s 3-pointer made it a 44-43 game.
Emma Marshall had made a 3-pointer with 3:02 left in regulation to put Fairland ahead 47-43.
But Baylee McKnight answered with her own trey with 2:41 on the clock and she hit the second of two foul shots with 1:52 left that tied the game at 47 and forced the overtime.
Allie Marshall hit back-to-back baskets to begin the overtime to go up 52-47.
Murphy scored for Coal Grove at the 2:33 mark and it was 52-49.
But neither team could score again until Allie Marshall hit two free throws with no time on the clock.
Fairland went deep to take an early first quarter lead. Harley Lyons hit a pair of 3-pointers and Jenna Stone had one of her own and it was 9-2, A triple by Emma Marshall with 11 seconds left in the quarter made it 18-10.
Kelsie Warnock had a 3-pointer, a basket and two foul shots as Fairland went up 25-12 with 2:56 left in the second quarter.
Dillow and Destiny Dolen scored for the Lady Hornets around a basket by Allie Marshall and Abbey Hicks sank a pair of free throws and it was 27-20 with 43 seconds left.
Jessica King made a free throw for Fairland but Dillow scored at the buzzer as Coal Grove drew to within 28-22 at the half.
Fairland led 39-31 on a basket by Brittany Thompson with 2:07 to go in the third quarter. McKnight then sank two foul shots and a 3-pointer to cut the gap to 39-36. Lyons had a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the lead was 42-36.
Fairland (12-3) was led by Allie Marshall with 14 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. Warnock had nine points and 11 rebounds and Lyons scored 12 points.
Dolen got 13 points and eight rebounds for Coal Grove (12-4). Dillow had 12 points and three assists, McKnight nine points and two steals, and Crum nine points and six rebounds.
On Thursday, Fairland is at South Point and Coal Grove goes to Gallipolis.
Fairland 18 10 14 5 7 = 54
Coal Grove 10 12 14 11 2 = 49
FAIRLAND (12-3, 7-2): Emma Marshall 0-0 2-3 0-0 6, Harley Lyons 0-3 4-9 0-0 12, Bailey Roland 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Allie Marshall 5-6 0-2 4-5 14, Jessica King 0-2 0-0 1-2 1, Kelsie Warnock 2-5 1-3 2-7 9, Brittany Thompson 1-1 1-2 0-0 5, Jenna Stone 2-3 1-2 0-0 7. Totals: 19-41 7-14 54. 3-pt goals: 9-21. Rebounds: 9-O, 23-ED = 32 (Warnock 11, A. Marshall 10). Assists: 15 (Stone 6, A. Marshall 4). Steals: 4 (Stone 2). Blocks: 6 (A. Marshall 4). Turnovers: 17. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.
COAL GROVE (12-4, 7-2): Addi Dillow 6-10 0-2 0-0 12, Baylee McKnight 0-1 2-5 3-8 9, Rylee Harmon 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Kaleigh Murphy 2-4, 0-1 0-2 3, Abbey Hicks 0-2 0-1 2-2 2, Destiny Dolen 6-15, 0-1 1-2 13, Lauren Crum 3-6 1-4 0-0 9, Jaiden Griffith 0-0 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-52 6-14 54. 3-pt goals: 3-14. Rebounds: 13-O, 17-D = 30 (Dolen 8, Crum 6). Assists: 10 (Dillow 3, Murphy 3). Steals: 5 (McKnight 2). Blocks: 3. Turnovers: 8. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.