Los Angeles, California - The Bachelor has stumbled upon its first hint of drama as the ladies battled it out to get their time with this season's leading man.

Monday's episode saw Grant Ellis take the lead on the first dates of the season, which kicked off with a basketball-themed group date.

10 ladies were selected for this outing, and things quickly got heated when they were tasked with participating in a slam dunk contest.

But Zoe soon set the stage for a villain arc as she forfeited her throw for one-on-one time with Grant.

Sure enough, the other women were having none of it, leaving tensions high as they set off for a five-on-five game.

Duking it out for a chance to be the night's MVP, the ladies weren't to get physical, as the acrylic nails strewn all over the court can attest!

Unsurprisingly, Zoe found herself a target, with Alli Jo taking the chance to push her to the ground as revenge for snagging time with Grant.

In the end, it was Chloie who earned the title of MVP – and Grant's letterman jacket – thanks to her skills on the court.

At the cocktail party, the now-nailless claws came out as Zoe was criticized for stealing the Bachelor away.

Zoe defended herself by reiterating that there are no real rules to life in the Bachelor mansion, but her behavior was still clearly getting under the other women's skin.

Amid the drama, Natalie came out on top with the group date rose after winning Grant over with her sweet interactions with the kids at the basketball game.

Next, it was time for Alexe's one-on-one, which was earned through last week's first impression rose.

The two headed to an empty shopping mall, where they had free rein to race on mechanical dogs, jump on mattresses, and more.

Grant even took the chance to show off his musical prowess with a special song he made up on the spot for Alexe, which – despite how cringe-worthy it may have been to watch – Alexe called the "sweetest moment ever." (Let's hope we're not in for another Jed...)

Alexe then received her date rose, and it was off to the final group date of the night.

The remaining ladies unfortunately found themselves in one of the franchise's roughest group dates – a musical performance.

The contestants teamed up as a girl group, penning a special song to woo Grant with.

Carolina, who serenaded the 31-year-old in Spanish, reigned supreme, but her not-so-PG kiss with Grant afterward solidified her as another enemy in the mansion.

The tension at the cocktail party was obvious to Grant, who pulled Rebekah aside to ask what was going on.

She explained that the other ladies were a bit hurt and a lot jealous after his and Carolina's makeout sesh.

Once Carolina herself caught wind of the reactions, she pulled focus again by claiming the ladies were getting in the way of her happiness by being so bummed about losing (cue the eye rolls).

Litia later enjoyed some one-on-one time with Grant, where she called him out for saying last week that she seemed like she'd never been told no because of how pretty she is.

Litia rightfully outlined why the remark "triggered" her, and her candor ultimately led Grant to hand her the coveted date rose.

With tensions still running high, it was time for Grant to make some big cuts.

He opted to say goodbye to Allyshia, Vicky, Rebekah, and Ella – the last of whom broke down sobbing on the floor, despite knowing Grant for less than a week. But hey, that's the beauty of reality TV!

Catch more drama (and hopefully less singing!) when The Bachelor returns on Monday, February 10 at 8 PM ET on ABC.