Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — Raphael Glover gave Ironton a good start and Ethan Wilson handled the strong finish.
The bookend performances with the help of their teammates enabled the Ironton Fighting Tigers to beat the Coal Grove Hornets 55-47 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.
Glover scored all eight of his points in the first quarter as Ironton took a 10-point lead and Wilson scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half.
Add to the mix Ryan Bryant — who was playing sick — with 12 points and seven rebounds and Ironton was able to finish the regular season 12-9 and 8-6 in the OVC.
Coal Grove (8-14, 4-10) was led by Aaron Music with 13 points and eight rebounds. Jaylen McKenzie had 11 points and Jeb Jones scored 10 for the Hornets.
Glover hit back-to-back shots and Ironton was up 9-3. He made a layup before the end of the first quarter and it was 15-5.
Ironton continued on its run by scoring 13 unanswered points from the end of the first quarter into the second and led 22-5 on a layup by Jourdyn Barrow off a nice pass from Joel Blankenship.
The lead was 24-7 when Jones made two straight baskets and it was 24-13 with just under a minute to go in the half.
Wilson made a layup but Music heaved up a halfcourt shot that found the net at the buzzer and it was 26-16.
A layup by Andrew Scott had Ironton ahead 28-16 to start the second half. Music then made a 3-pointer, Mark Sites hit a foul shot, Music made another triple and Coal Grove trailed 28-23.
A three-point play by Bryant and a layup by Wilson after a steal by Blankenship and Ironton’s lead was 33-23.
The Hornets were down 35-28 on a put-back by Alijah Roman but Wilson trifecta put Ironton in front 38-28 at the end of the quarter.

Wilson made four foul shots and Scott a layup as Ironton extend its lead to 44-30 with 5:25 left to play.
The Hornets went on a 12-4 run and trailed 50-45 after Jones’ layup, but Blankenship scored and it was 52-45
Music hit a 15-footer with 45 seconds left. Bryant then made two foul shots and Scott to seal the outcome with 13 seconds to go.
Up next is Div. III sectional tournament play at Jackson as Coal Grove faces Nelsonville-York at 6:15 on Monday and Ironton plays Chesapeake at 6:15 on Tuesday.
Ironton       15    11    12    17    =    55
Coal Grove    5    11    12    19    =    47
IRONTON (12-9, 8-6): Ethan Wilson 6 1 6-9 21, Andrew Scott 2 0 1-2 5, Kyle Adkins 0 1 0-0 3, Raphael Glover 4 0 0-2 8, Ryan Bryant 3 1 3-7 12, Jourdyn Barrow 1 0 0-0 2, Joel Blankenship 2 0 0-1 4, Hunter Humphreys 0 0 0-0 0, Ryan Payne 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Milleson 0 0 0-0 0, Jordan Grizzle 0 0 0-0 0, Trevor Hacker 0 0 0-0 0, Collin Freeman 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-39 10-21 55. 3-point goals: 3-4. Rebounds: 8-O, 27-D = 35 (Bryant 7, Blankenship 5, Glover 4, Scott 4). Team/deadball rebounds: 4. Assists: 7 (Wilson 3). Steals: 7 (Barrow 2). Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Barrow (4th 2:07).
COAL GROVE (8-14, 4-10): Aaron Music 2 3 0-0 13, Mark Sites 0 1 3-5 6, Jeb Jones 5 0 0-1 10, Jordan Case 0 0 0-0 0, Jaylen McKenzie 4 0 3-6 11, Cory Borders 1 0 0-0 2, Alijah Roman 1 0 0-1 2. Totals: 17-51 6-12 47. 3-point goals: 4-18. Rebounds: 11-O, 13-D = 24 (Music 8). Team/deadball rebounds: 3. Assists: 4. Steals: 8 (Music 4). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.