Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

SOUTH POINT — There has been one thing that has hampered the young South Point Pointers this season: applying the knockout punch.

Coach Travis Wise has been preaching to his team not to let up once they get a lead.

The Pointers finally did that on Tuesday as they beat the Coal Grove Hornets 63-38 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

The Pointers had a seven-point halftime lead and began to stretch the lead in the second half.

“We challenged them at halftime to put them away. We haven’t been doing that and they responded to the challenge,” said Wise.

South Point had three players in double figures with Tayshaun Fox scoring 17, Jared Whitt 14 points and Elijah Adams 12.

Tanner Hall and Whitt grabbed eight rebounds each. Adams also had five assists.

“Our three guards played well and our big rebounded,” said Wise. “We shot the ball pretty well and we changed up our defenses well.”

Jeb Jones scored 12 points to lead Coal Grove (4-9, 2-7).

Adams scored 10 of his points in the first quarter as South Point (5-7, 5-3) took a 17-10 lead.

Each team scored nine points in the second quarter and it was 26-19 at the half.

Whitt got hot and scored nine points in the third quarter as the Pointers pulled away to a 44-29 lead.

South Point then outscored the Hornets 19-9 in the fourth quarter to win going away.

“In past games when we had the lead or we were in a close game, we let it slip away from us. We’re starting to grow up,” said Wise.

On Friday in league games, South Point visits Chesapeake and Coal Grove hosts Portsmouth.

Coal Grove 10 9 10 9 = 38

South Point 17 9 18 19 = 63

COAL GROVE (4-9, 2-7): Cole Gannon 1 0 2-2 4, Daniel Rutherford 3 0 0-2 6, Jordan Case 1 0 0-0 2, Dalton Miller 2 1 0-0 7, Chase McKnight 2 0 0-0 4, Alijah Roman 0 1 0-0 3, Jeb Jones 4 0 4-6 12. Totals: 13 2 6-13 38. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.

SOUTH POINT (5-7, 5-3): Douglass Shaffer 1 0 0-0 2, Caleb Pennington 0 1 2-2 5, Chris Woodard 1 0 0-0 2, Tanner Hall 2 0 0-0 4, Jared Whitt 3 2 2-2 14, Tayshaun Fox 2 2 7-8 17, Elijah Adams 2 2 2-2 12, Caleb Eplion 0 0 1-2 1, Logan Wade 3 0 0-0 6. Totals: 21-45 14-16 63. 3-point goals: 7-16. Rebounds: 29 (Hall 8, Whitt 8). Assists: 18 (Adams 5). Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.