LUCASVILLE — The Valley Lady Indians could not get over the hump, and fell 38-34 to visiting South Point in girls non-conference basketball action on Thursday night at Valley High School.

Valley (5-4) tied the game at 32-32 with 4:25 to play — when Ella Thompson grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back for the bucket.

But the Lady Pointers went on a 6-2 run — thanks in part to two steals, two layup baskets along with two free throws all from Jasmyn Jones — to close the game out.

“Those couple of possessions there at the end where we gave up a couple of layups and didn’t have any rotations on the help-side really hurt you in a close game,” Valley head coach Tyson Phillips said. “We gave up some offensive rebounds off some missed free throws there at the end too. We gave them more opportunities to score, and they scored.”

The Lady Indians trailed 28-24 at the start of the final quarter, but went on a brief run to take the lead.

Valley’s Lexie Morrow scored an inside bucket off a nice dish from Kelsey LeBrun, and followed that with an eight-footer from the paint.

LeBrun connected on one of two free throws to give the Lady Indians the lead at 29-28.

“Defensively we did well,” Phillips said. “We forced them into things we wanted to them to do. We just couldn’t put it all together when we needed it to come together. But I liked the way we fought back against a really good South Point team. We just have to find a way to close it out.”

Morrow finished the game with 12 points, and pulled down eight rebounds and had three steals and two assists in the loss.

“South Point (6-3) is a good team,” Phillips added. “We held them in the 30s and those are games you have to find a way to win. When you hold good teams to the 30s, then you have a good shot to win those games — the close ones.”

South Point grabbed a 17-10 lead at the start of the third quarter — when Liz Ermalovich nailed a three-pointer.

The lead increased to 19-10, after Emma Sadler swished two free throws.

But the Lady Indians countered, and went on a 7-0 run of their own.

LeBrun hit a bucket underneath, and Morrow followed that with a steal and a layup.

Morrow hit on one of two free throws, and Brooke Riehl made good on a post play with an assist from Thompson.

Ermalovich, who finished with eight points, banked in a shot for the 21-17 lead.

But Valley put together another run, ignited by a LeBrun spin move inside for two — and a shot off the glass by Riehl to tie the game at 21-21.

“The girls did not give up and played really hard tonight,” Phillips said. “We just can’t get off to those slow starts like we had in the first half.”

Thompson’s three-pointer tied the game at 24-24, but South Point closed the third quarter out with four straight points.

“Their zone defense gave us some problems,” Phillips said. “Then they extended it and at times we attacked it and at times we didn’t. We just need to be more consistent because we have the shooters.”

Valley struggled on the offensive end in the first half, and scored five points in each of the first two periods.

“We didn’t have any rhythm on offense,” Phillips said. “We missed some shots and had no rhythm in the first half.”

Thompson finished the game with eight points and three rebounds, while LeBrun had six points and pulled down five rebounds — and Riehl had four points.

Valley struggled at the free-throw line as well — and went 7-of-18.

“That has to get better when we go into conference play,” Phillips said. “We make five more of those and we win this game.”

The Lady Indians return to non-league action on Saturday —with a trip to 9-1 Adena.

The contest is part of a girls-boys doubleheader, with the girls game getting underway at an estimated 4:30.

* * *

South Point 7 7 14 10 — 38

Valley 5 5 14 10 — 34

SOUTH POINT 38 (6-3)

Saratina Jackson 2 0-0 6, Liz Ermalovich 3 1-4 8, Camille Hall 3 1-2 7, Samiya Bradburn 2 0-0 4, Jasmyn Jones 3 2-5 8, Emma Saddler 0 2-2 2, Josie Kidd 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 14 6-13 38; Three-point goals: 4 (Saratina Jackson 2, Liz Ermalovich and Josie Kidd 1 apiece)

VALLEY 34 (5-4)

Kelsey LeBrun 2 2-6 6, Lexie Morrow 4 4-8 12, Carly Metzler 2 0-0 4, Ella Thompson 3 1-2 8, Brooke Riehl 2 0-2 4; TOTALS 13 7-18 34; Three-point goals: 1 (Ella Thompson 1)