Bella Austin made 5-of-6 free throws and scored all seven of her points in the fourth quarter Wednesday night, helping the Effingham Lady Hearts maintain their lead and post a 44-38 victory at Paris.

Effingham led by 10 points at halftime, 24-14, but the hosts made a second half comeback. The Lady Tigers trimmed the gap to 29-24 after three quarters and then scored 14 points in the final eight minutes. But Austin came through down the stretch and Bria Beals knocked down a key three-pointer, helping the Lady Hearts secure the win.

Averie Wolfe connected on three shots from behind the arc and scored 13 points – all in the first half – to lead the EHS scoring attack. Austin and Sidney Donaldson both scored seven.

The Lady Hearts are now 17-4 on the season. They will open play in the Vandalia Tournament Monday.