Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

CHESAPEAKE — On Sunday, it will have been 50 years since The Beatles made their American debut on the Ed Sullivan Show.

It hasn’t been 50 years since the Coal Grove Hornets have won at Chesapeake, it just seems like it has been that long.

But that drought ended Wednesday as the Hornets slipped past the Panthers 38-37 on a foul shot by Brandon Adkins with 1.4 seconds to play in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

With the game tied, Conor Markins started a drive to the left of the foul line, stopped and hit Adkins under the basket. But Adkins was fouled on the play and went to the free throw line.

Adkins missed the first shot and, after a timeout, sank the second free throw. Chesapeake’s Gage Rhoades’ half-court heave was on target but hit the front of the rim as the horn sounded.

“It really was a great game. Chesapeake played really well. They knocked down a lot of shots. Our kids kept battling,” said Hornets’ coach Jay Lucas.

“(Chesapeake) took the lead right there at the half and I thought, ‘Uh-oh.’ But our kids kept coming and we turned up the pressure and it was good for us late in the second half.”

Adkins’ free throw capped a big fourth quarter comeback as the Hornets erased a 30-22 deficit.

Coal Grove inserted Jonathan Joseph and Isaiah Gunther into the lineup at the start of the fourth quarter and applied a fullcourt pressure.

The Panthers — who had just seven turnovers through three quarters — had seven miscues in the fourth quarter. They were also just 1-of-6 from the foul line.

“We didn’t take care of the ball or make a free throws. That was the difference,” said Panthers’ coach Ryan Davis.

Adkins had a 3-point play to start the quarter and it was 30-25. Chesapeake’s Andrew Saunders and Adkins traded foul shots and then Sean Paulus’ layup got the Hornets within 31-28.

Markins had a steal and layup and then followed up a missed shot as Coal Grove took a 32-31 lead with 5:13 left.

Saunders’ steal and layup put the Panthers back on top and Caleb Heffner putback his own miss and the Panthers were up 35-32 2ith 2:59 to play.

Gunther hit a 3-pointer from the right corner to tie the game at the 1:54 mark and a layup by Adkins gave Coal Grove the lead.

“We went to a little smaller, a little quicker lineup and brought some guys off the bench who hadn’t played the whole game. Jonathan Joseph and Gunther came in and they hadn’t played the whole game and they really gave us good minutes,” said Lucas.

Saunders hit a 15-footer with 1:01 to go and the Panthers had tied the game at 37. The Hornets then held the ball for the final shot.

“Conor played a great game and what a big shot by Isaiah in the corner for a 3 that tied it up. That was a huge shot. And Brandon stepped up and hit that free throw,” said Lucas.

The game was tied eight times and the lead changed hands nine times.

Coal Grove (12-6, 5-3) led 11-7 at the end of the first quarter but Chesapeake came back to take a 19-17 halftime lead.

Markins and Adkins scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds each. Markins had three steals and Adkins two. Paulus had three assists.

Rhoades had 11 points to lead the Panthers (10-7, 3-5). Heffner had nine pints and seven rebounds and Saunders also had nine points.

Coal Grove 11 6 5 16 = 38

Chesapeake 7 12 11 7 = 37

COAL GROVE (12-6, 5-3): Sean Paulus 3 0 0-0 6, Brandon Adkins 4 0 3-5 11, D.J. Miller 0 1 0-0 3, Joe Akers 0 0 0-0 0, Conor Markins 5 0 1-2 11, Jonathan Joseph 0 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Gunther 0 1 0-0 3, Austen Pleasants 1 0 2-2 4. Totals: 15-39 6-9 38. 3-point goals: 2-10. Rebounds: 11-OR, 15-DR = 26 (Markins 8, Adkins 8). Team/deadball rebounds: 2. Assists: 7 (Paulus 3, Miller 2). Steals: 5 (Markins 3, Adkins 2). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.

CHESAPEAKE (10-7, 3-5): Nate Smith 0 1 0-0 3, Gage Rhoades 0 3 2-4 11, Brad Meadows 1 0 0-0 2, Caleb Heffner 4 0 1-2 9, Andrew Saunders 4 0 1-4 9, Austin Carpenter 0 0 1-2 1, Aaron Thompson 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13-35 7-14 37. 3-point goals: 4-12. Rebounds: 9-OR, 14-DR = 23 (Heffner 7, Meadows 6, Saunders 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 2. Assists: 7 (Meadows 2, Smith 2). Steals: 10 (Saunders 4, Heffner 2, Smith 2, Meadow 2). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.