Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE — This was a kitchen sink game. It had both hot and cold faucets.

The hot-shooting Coal Grove Hornets beat the cold-shooting Fairland Dragons 67-57 in a key Ohio Valley Conference game Friday.

Coal Grove was 23-of-40 from the field for 57.5 percent including 6-of-12 from the 3-point line.

Conversely, the Dragons were 20-of-65 for 31 percent and a mere 6-of-32 from behind the arc for 19 percent.

Coal Grove coach Jay Lucas said the win was a team effort.

“The guys who scored couldn’t do their job without the guys playing defense and rebounding. It was a total team effort,” said Lucas.

“Both teams played hard, we were just able to make some shots.”

Coal Grove (6-4, 4-2) had three players in double figures led by D.J. Miller with 16 points and Brandon Adkins with 14 points and six rebounds. Sean Paulus scored 12 points.

Chance Short scored 16 points and Evan Maddox had 10 points for Fairland (5-5, 2-2). Trent Wilcoxon hauled down 14 rebounds.

“We didn’t play well. We made a run late, but we couldn’t sustain anything all night,” said Fairland coach Nathan Speed.

Coal Grove bolted to a 13-3 lead early in the first quarter and led 24-10 at the end of the quarter. Adkins scored seven points and Miller six more.

The Hornets were 9-of-12 from the field in the quarter and the Dragons were just 4-of-12.

Miller and Paulus combined for 10 points in the third quarter as Coal Grove opened up a 54-32 lead with 2:20 to play. But the Dragons rallied to trail 56-38 at the end of the quarter.

Luke Phillips scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter as the Dragons got within nine points, but Conor Markins hit a big 3-pointer and two free throws and Miller had four points as the Hornets withstood the comeback attempt.

Fairland was 7-of-23 from the field in the fourth quarter.

Neither team shot free throws well. The Hornets were 15-of-31 — they were 4-of-12 in the fourth quarter — and the Dragons converted 11-of-20.

 

Coal Grove 24 16 16 11 = 67

Fairland 10 16 12 19 = 57

COAL GROVE (6-4, 4-2): Jonathan Joseph 0 0 0-0 0, Sean Paulus 3 1 3-4 12, Isaiah Gunther 0 1 0-0 3, Brandon Adkins 4 1 4 1 3-8 14, D.J. Miller 4 1 5-8 16, Joe Akers 3 1 0-5 9, Conor Markins 1 1 3-5 8, Austen Pleasants 2 0 1-1 5. Totals: 23-40 15-31 67. 3-point goals: 6-12. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Paulus. Rebounds: 20 (Markins 10, Adkins 6, Akers 5). Assists: 6 (Miller 2, Markins 2). Steals: 2 (Paulus, Adkins). Turnovers: 15.

FAIRLAND (5-5, 2-2): Thayer Flynn 0 1 1-1 4, Chance Short 3 2 4-6 16, Jacob Warner 1 1 0-0 5, Bailey Manns 0 0 0-0 0, Luke Phillips 3 0 1-3 7, Nathan Campbell 2 1 2-4 9, Evan Maddox 2 1 3-6 10, Robert Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Tyler Campbell 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Wilcoxon 3 0 0-0 6. Totals: 20-65 11-20 57. 3-point goals: 6-32. Fouls: 27. Fouled out: Short, Phillips, Wilcoxon. Rebounds: 36 (Wilcoxon 14, N. Campbell 5, Flynn 5). Assists: 8 (Phillips 3, N. Campbell 2). Steals: 10 (N. Campbell 5, Phillips 2). Turnovers: 12.