CHESAPEAKE – Showdown? Not just yet.

Wednesday, January 16, 2002

CHESAPEAKE – Showdown? Not just yet. Even though Chesapeake beat the South Point Pointers 50-48 in overtime Tuesday to take over sole possession of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference race, Panthers coach Norm Persin was pleased but not jubilant about the win.

"It’s still early. Realistically, we had to win because it was at home. This is a big week. Friday’s game is just as important," Persin said. "Defensively, we played really well. If we knock down just a few shots from the perimeter and we can win it in regulation. We’re learning and we’re playing a little better."

Chesapeake is 8-3 overall and 3-0 in the OVC. South Point is 5-5 and 2-1.

"They played well and they deserved to win, but our kids played well enough that they deserved to win, too," Pointers coach Mark Lafon said. "We just didn’t get the job done in overtime and they did. But one loss isn’t going to settle the league. Our kids still have the confidence to come back and win the league."

Aaron Gossett scored 16 points to lead the Panthers. Nick Karle got 13 points, four assists and two steals while Tommie Hill grabbed nine rebounds.

Persin praised Luke Beach and Tommie Hill for their play off the bench.

"Karle did some good things. Gossett had a solid game, Luke Beach hit some big buckets for us and Hill did a good job on the boards. We put him in there with (Matt) Rucker out and he did a good job on the back side," Persin said.

The Pointers were led by Shane Holsinger who scored 26 points including a layup with 6:14 to play in the first quarter that gave him 1,000 career points.

"Holsinger has done a great job his entire career and he stepped it up tonight," Lafon said. "Donte Pennington played the best defense I’ve seen in a while."

Chesapeake was up 9-7 at the end of the first quarter and led by as many as 11 points late in the second quarter before the Pointers cut the deficit to 29-22 at the half.

South Point came back to trail 40-39 at the end of the third quarter and then tied the score in the fourth.

With the scored tied 46-46, Chesapeake’s Brad Fulton blocked Holsinger’s shot in the lane with one second left. Holsinger intercepted the inbounds pass, but stumbled and then hurried to put up a shot that just missed and the game went into overtime.

Beach hit a driving layup and Gossett hit a shot from close range to put the Panthers up four with 1:30 to go in the extra period. Holsinger sank two foul shots to make it 50-48, but the Panthers were able to run out the clock for the win.

So. Point 7 15 17 7 2 – 48

Chesapeake 9 20 11 6 4 – 50

SOUTH POINT (5-5. 2-1): Donte Pennington 3 0 1-3 7, Justin Eaches 2 1 1-1 8, Adam Workman 0 0 0-0 0, Shane Holsinger 6 1 11-13 26, Saul Thompson 0 0 0-1 0, Bryan Maggard 1 0 1-5 3, Jonathan Green 1 0 0-0 2, Seth Craft 0 0 2-2 2. Totals: 13 2 16-25 48. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Eaches.

CHESAPEAKE (8-3, 3-0): Adam Skeens 0 0 0-0 0, Aaron Gossett 6 1 1-2 16, Karle 5 0 3-7 13, Thacker 1 0 0-2 2, Beach 2 0 0-0 4, Fulton 4 0 1-2 9, Hill 0 1 1-2 4, Rucker 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 19 2 61-4 50. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: Rucker. Turnovers: 10. Rebounds: 34 (Hill 9). Assists: 11 (Karle 4). Steals: 9 (Gossett 2, Karle 2).