Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — Talk about getting your money’s worth.

In a thrilling as well as exhausting game that lasted three overtimes, the Fairland Dragons outlasted the Coal Grove Hornets 76-72 on Friday.

“We played hard, but just didn’t make free throws and we missed a lot of lay-ups. We were lucky to win,” said Fairland coach Nathan Speed regarding his team’s 12 for 32 foul shooting.

“But with all the things that went against us, we hung in there and found a way to win.”

Fairland (9-3, 5-0) remained alone atop the Ohio Valley Conference with the win. Coal Grove is now 8-3 and 3-2 in the league.

The Dragons placed five players in double figures. Evan Maddox had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Kyle Raines scored 15 to go with 12 rebounds, Chance Short had 14 points, Nathan Campbell racked up 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals, and Cody Midkiff 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The loss wasted an outstanding effort by Coal Grove’s Conor Markins who scored 30 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

Brandon Adkins had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets. Isaiah Gunther added 11 points.

“Give Coal Grove credit. They played hard. Markins killed us. He’s much stronger this year. He went to the basket well, he shot well, and he rebounded well,” said Speed.

Fairland took a 20-9 first quarter lead as Raines and Maddox scored 5 points each.

Markins scored 14 points in the first half and got the Hornets within 32-24 at the half.

Gunther hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter as Coal Grove got within 42-40.

Markins buried a long-3-pointer with less than a minute to play in regulation to tie the game at 54. Fairland held for the last shot but missed and the game went into overtime.

Short scored 4 points and Markins countered with 3 in the first overtime and it was tied at 60.

Sean Paulus made a foul shot to give Coal Grove a 61-60 lead to start the second overtime. The Hornets led just three times the entire game.

Campbell scored 4 points to put Fairland up but the Hornets’ Joe Akers hit two foul shots to tie the game against at 65.

Campbell scored 4 more points in the third overtime and Fairland made 5 of 10 free throws to get the win.

“We’d miss one of two free throws or the front end of a one-and-one and Coal Grove would go down and hit a three. They just kept battling back at us but we managed to get the win,” said Speed.

Fairland 20 12 10 12 6 5 11 = 76

Coal Grove 9 15 16 14 6 5 7 = 72

FAIRLAND (9-3, 5-0): Thayer Flynn 1-2 0-0 1-4 3, Cody Midkiff 4-10 1-4 1-3 12, Chance Short 6-14 0-1 2-3 14, Luke Phillips 1-2 0-0 1-2 3, Nathan Campbell 6-9 0-0 2-7 14, Phillip Beaty 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Kyle Raines 2-5 2-3 5-8 15, Evan Maddox 6-20 1-2 0-3 15, Tyler Campbell 0-2 0-0 0-0 0, Dionte Braye 0-1 0-0 0-2 0. Totals: 30-75 12-32 76. 3-point goals: 4-10. Rebounds: 45 (Raines 12, Midkiff 10, Maddox 10, N. Campbell 8). Assists: 12 (N. Campbell 4). Steals: 10 (N. Campbell 5). Blocked shots: 4 (Raines 2). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 25. Fouled out: Midkiff, Maddox.

COAL GROVE (8-3, 3-2): Trevor Barrett 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Alex Bare 2-8 0-2 1-5 5, Johnathan Joseph 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Sean Paulus 2-7 0-5 3-4 7, Isaiah Gunther 1-3 3-6 0-0 11, Brandon Adkins 3-11 0-2 7-9 13, Conor Markins 4-13 5-9 7-11 30, Joe Akers 1-4 0-0 4-5 6, Austen “Red” Pleasants 0-0 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-70 22-34 72. 3-point goals: 8-24. Rebounds: 44 (Markins 14, Adkins 12, Akers 10). Assists: 6. Steals: 4 (Bare 2). Blocked shots: 2. Turnovers: 22. Fouls: 23. Fouled out: Adkins, Gunther, Paulus.