Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — Maybe, just maybe, the Ironton Fighting Tigers have turned the corner.
Battling youth and inexperience all season, Ironton got its second straight road win by downing the Chesapeake Panthers 51-42 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Tuesday.
“That’s a quality win. Chesapeake is playing better. They lost at Portsmouth by four. I think our kids did a good job of executing for the majority of the game. That’s probably the most complete game we’ve played all year,” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon.
Ironton trailed after three quarters before outscoring the Panthers 18-8 in the fourth quarter to win. It marked the third time and second straight that the Fighting Tigers won a game after trailing at the end of the third quarter.
Ryan Bryant came off the bench to score 18 points and get six rebounds for Ironton. Jourdyn Barrow had a strong all-around game with eight points and several key plays. Raphael Glover also had eight points.
The Panthers shot well for three quarters but went cold in the fourth quarter as they were 2-of-10 from the field. They were 15-of-43 for the game and 8-of-25 from 3-point range.
Casey McComas had a game-high 22 points for the Panthers as he hit four 3-point goals. Cole Mills added 11 points and Zach Wright grabbed seven rebounds.
“Chesapeake shoots a lot of jump shots and we didn’t bail them out,” said LaFon.
“I was very happy with Bryant. I told him to go from one side of the lane to the other and Ryan did a really nice job. And he did a nice job passing the ball when they doubled him.
“Jourdyn Barrow did a great job and Glover played well in both games we’ve played against them.”
Ironton took a 6-2 lead but Mills hit a pair of 3-pointers and McComas made an 18-footer and a 3-pointers that put the Panthers in front 13-6 at the end of the quarter.
McComas hit a shot to start the second quarter as Chesapeake made it a 13-0 run and a 15-6 lead.
Bryant hit a reverse layup, Kyle Adkins buried a trifecta and Barrow made two foul shots and it was 15-13.
A put-back by Barrow got Ironton within 18-17 but a 3-pointer by McComas gave Chesapeake its biggest lead at 25-19.
Adkins answered with his own triple and Bryant drove as Ironton got within 25-24 at the break.
The lead changed hands six times to begin the second half before the Panthers used a layup by McComas and a 3-pointer by Mills tolead 34-30. Bryant then drilled a 3-pointer and it was 34-33 at the end of the quarter.
Two foul shots by Bryant and a put-back by Barrow made it 37-34. Austin Jackson connected on a triple as Chesapeake tied the game, but layups by Barrows, Glover and Bryant gave Ironton a 43-37 lead.
Ironton converted 8-of-11 free throws over the final 1:33 — Ethan Wilson was 4-of-5 — to seal the win.
On Friday, Ironton hosts South Point while Chesapeake entertains Coal Grove.
Ironton       6    18    9    18    =    51
Chesapeake    13    12    9    8    =    42
IRONTON (10-8, 6-6): Ethan Wilson 1 0 4-5 6, Joel Blankenship 0 0 0-0 0, Kyle Adkins 0 2 0-0 6, Jourdyn Barrow 3 0 2-2 8, Hunter Humphreys 1 0 0-0 2, Raphael Glover 4 0 0-0 8, Ryan Bryant 5 1 5-6 18, Andrew Scott 1 0 1-2 3, Ryan Payne 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-41 12-15 51. 3-point goals: 3-13. Rebounds: 10-O, 23-D = 33 (Scott 7, Bryant 7, Wilson 6). Team/deadball rebounds: 4. Assists: 9 (Wilson 4). Steals: 6 (Bryant 2, Wilson 2). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 8. Fouled out: None.
CHESAPEAKE (4-14, 3-9): Casey McComas 3 4 4-4 22, Austin Jackson 1 1 0-0 5, Tanner Harr 1 0 0-0 2, Cole Mills 1 3 0-0 11, Zach Wright 1 0 0-0 2, Eric Harr 0 0 0-0 0, David Dotson 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15-43 4-4 42. 3-point goals: 8-25. Rebounds: 6-O, 15-D = 21 (Wright 7, McComas 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 12. Assists: 3. Steals: 5 (McComas 3). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.