By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

CHESAPEAKE — Missing two of their top six players, the Chesapeake Panthers needed the other players to step up.

Eric Kennedy decided to step up for both players as he scored 21 points and grabbed an amazing 25 rebounds to lead the Panthers to a 63-30 Ohio Valley Conference win Tuesday over the Coal Grove Hornets.

Kennedy had eight offensive rebounds and 17 on the defensive end as the Panthers dominated the glass 55-24.

Chesapeake guard Patrick Hintz missed the game with a severe ankle sprain and sixth man Chad Meadows was out with an illness.

“I’ve never had a player get 25 rebounds in a game,” said Panthers’ coach Ryan Davis. “They told me he had 23 rebounds, so I went back and watched the tape and they were wrong. He had 25.”

Taylor Banaei and Caleb Lindsey got extended playing time with Hintz and Meadows out and Davis was pleased with their effort.

“They played hard defensively. They did a good job,” said Davis.

Brandon Noble had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Panthers who are 13-1 and sit atop the OVC at 6-0. Austin McMaster added 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 blocked shots.

Alex Bare had 8 points for the Hornets (10-4, 3-3).

Kennedy and Noble combined for 10 points as Chesapeake took a 16-4 first quarter lead. The Panthers outscored the Hornets 17-6 in the second quarter to lead 33-10 at the break.

Kennedy had 9 points in the third quarter as the lead ballooned to 52-15.

Coal Grove 4 6 5 15 = 30

Chesapeake 16 17 19 11 = 63

COAL GROVE (10-4, 3-3): Jordan Beals 2 0 0-0 4, Alex Bare 1 1 3-5 8, Jacob Pauley 1 0 0-0 2, Isaiah Gunther 0 0 3-4 3, T.J. Barrett 0 0 2-2 2, Conor Markins 0 0 2-4 2, Bryan Steele 1 1 0-1 5, Kyle Estep 2 0 0-0 4. Totals: 9-47 10-16 30. Rebounds: 5-19=24. Turnovers: 19. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Markins.

CHESAPEAKE (13-1, 6-0): Taylor Banaei 1 2 1-2 9, Eric Kennedy 8 0 5-6 21, Brandon Noble 4 0 4-5 12, Javon Thompson 1 0 0-0 2, Austin McMaster 4 0 1-2 9, Mikey Walters 2 0 0-0 4, Blake Lester 0 0 0-0 0, Austin Carpenter 0 0 0-2 0, Shane Stevens 0 0 2-2 2, Nate Smith 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-60 13-19 63. 3-point goals: 2-15. Rebounds: 25-30=55 (Kennedy 25, Noble 10, McMaster 8, Banaei 6). Assists: 5. Steals: 15 (McMaster 3, Noble 3, Kennedy 3). Turnovers: 17. Blocked shots: McMaster 5. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.