SOUTH POINT — If you think P.J. Rase was sick, imagine how the South Point Pointers feel.

Rase spent Thursday night and most of Friday sick and vomiting. Chesapeake Panthers head coach Norm Persin wasn’t sure if Rase, or a couple of other players, would be in the starting lineup.

Rase was in the lineup and he used the Pointers as his antidote in a 60-44 Ohio Valley Conference win.

Rase scored 23 points including 4 of 4 from the line down the stretch to end any South Point comeback hopes.

“You know they say sometimes you shoot better when you’re sick,” Persin said with a chuckle.

“I just went out and played and tried not to think about (being sick). I didn’t do much. I just took care of the ball and took a few shots. The other guys stepped up and we needed that,” Rase said.

Stepping up was sophomore guard Tyler Shoemaker with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. Justin Porter had 13 points as Chesapeake stayed unbeaten in the OVC at 6-0.

Persin said not only was Rase sick, but he has a lingering ankle injury that’s still sore.

Also, Jeffrey Thornburg was making his first start after being out the past two games following the extraction of his wisdom teeth, and Brent Ransbottom has been injured and his status was questionable.

“We weren’t sure up until game time who was going to play,” Persin said. “Shoemaker has stepped up and played well the last three games and Ransbottom gave it everything he had. We played hard, but we didn’t play with a lot of emotion.”

South Point coach Gary Norris was pleased with his team’s effort after losing 69-24 in the first meeting, but he said the Panthers offensive balance proved to be too much.

“They’re hard to defend. They have so many people who can score,” Norris said.

Jeremiah Taylor had 14 points and 10 rebounds and J.T. Terry scored 14 points to lead the Pointers (6-6, 2-4).

South Point led 5-4 early when Rase scored seven straight points in a 50-second period as the Panthers defense force three quick turnovers. A 17-footer by Shoemaker at the first quarter buzzer put the lead at 15-7.

Chesapeake extended its lead to 31-16 at the half when Porter hit a 3-pointer with three seconds on the clock.

South Point came back in the third quarter and cut the deficit to 38-28 on a pair of foul shots by Chase McWhorter, but Rase converted a three-point play and Porter had a layup with four seconds left in the quarter for a 43-30 cushion.

The Pointers Jerrell Dean followed up a missed shot to begin the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 43-32. However, the Pointers didn’t socre again until a layup by Taylor with 2:23 to play and Chesapeake ahead 51-34.

The Panthers were 9 of 10 from the foul line over the final 1:34 to seal the outcome.

Chesapeake15161217=60

South Point79141444

CHESAPEAKE (12-1, 6-0): Justin Porter 6-10 (1-3) 0-0 13, P.J. Rase 8-15 (2-4) 5-5 23, Tyler Shoemaker 5-11 (1-2) 5-6 16, Jeffrey Thornburg 2-5 (0-2) 0-0 4, Brent Ransbottom 0-1 (0-0) 0-0 0, Zach Morrison 1-1 (0-0) 0-0 2, Caleb McComas 0-1 (0-0) 0-0 0, Mike Stapleton 1-1 (0-0) 0-1 2. Totals: 23-44

(4-12)

10-11

60. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 5-14=19 (Shoemaker 4, Porter 3, Thornburg 3, Morrison 3). Team/deadball rebounds: 4. Assists: 8 (Shoemaker 3, Rase 3). Steals: 7 (Porter 2). Turnovers: 8.

SOUTH POINT (6-6, 2-4): Chris Brown 1-6 (1-4) 0-0 3, J.T. Terry 6-12 (1-4) 1-1 14, Joey Stevens 1-2 (0-0) 0-0 2, Chase McWhorter 1-3 (1-3) 3-4 6, Jeremiah Taylor 4-13 (0-0) 6-8 14, Zach Woody 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Jerrell Dean 2-2 (0-0) 1-3 5, Beau Weed 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0. Totals: 15-38

(3-10)

11-16

44. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Brown. Rebounds: 6-15=21 (Taylor 10, McWhorter 4). Team/deadball rebounds: 2. Assists: 5 (McWhorter 2). Steals: 2. Turnovers; 12.