Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

WHEELERSBURG — Several times this season, Ironton has had leads in the fourth quarter only to lose the game.

Well, it happened again.

The Fighting Tigers squandered a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter and lost to the Wheelersburg Pirates 50-48 on Saturday.

Ironton had nine of its 21 turnovers in the fourth quarter including a bad pass that allowed Keaton Newsome to make a layup with 10 seconds left that gave the Pirates the win.

“We turned the ball over too much. We made too many bad decisions and when you add in the missed shots, that’s what happened,” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon.

“We played well enough to win except for that one thing and that’s taking care of the basketball.”

The game was tied twice in the first quarter before a short jumper by Marques Davis put Ironton up for good at 6-4.

A triple by Davis made it 10-6 before Tanner Holden’s layup got the Pirates within 10-8 at the end of the stanza.

Ironton led 12-10 when Travis Carey made a layup, Davis hit a runner in the lane and Raphael Glover got a stick back for an 18-10 lead at the 2:42 mark.

A layup by Tyler Webb put the Fighting Tigers up 20-14 and a steal and layup by Ethan Wilson at the buzzer made it a 22-14 lead at the break.

Tanner Bivens hit a 3-pointer and Kaden Coleman got a layup to get the Pirates within 24-21.

Carey got a quick layup but Bivens hit another trey and the Pirates trailed 26-24.

Ryan Bryant sank two free throws and Ironton went up 28-24 midway through the quarter.

Two free throws by Kyle Davis got the Pirates within two points again, but a layup by Wilson and a trifecta and 12-footer by Marques Davis extended Ironton’s lead to 35-26.

Ironton kept the momentum going to start the fourth quarter as Wilson made two foul shots and Glover scored inside and it was 42-27.

The Pirates caught a little fire of their own as Kyle Davis got a layup and then he and Tanner Bivens each hit 3-pointers and it was 42-35.

A steal and layup by Kyle Davis cut the spread to 42-37.

The Fighting Tigers — who were also battling foul trouble — stopped the bleeding when Marques Davis made both ends of a one-and-one with 4:01 left and it was 44-37.

Wilson made two more foul shots but Kyle Davis hit a 3-pointer, Bivens made a free throw and Tanner Holden had a layup and two foul shots to make it 46-45 with 1:18 to go.

Carey hit two free throws but Holden caught an airball, scored and was fouled. He completed the 3-point play to tie the game and then the turnover by Ironton handed the Pirates the win.

Marques Davis had 14 points and Wilson 11 for Ironton (6-7).

Kyle Davis scored 14, Bivens 12 and Holden 11 for the Pirates (7-3).

Ironton hosts Portsmouth on Tuesday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Ironton 10 12 16 10 = 48

Wheelersburg 8 6 13 23 = 50

IRONTON (6-7): Ethan Wilson 3 0 5-6 11, Marques Davis 3 2 2-2 14, Desmond Young 1 0 0-0 2, Ryan Bryant 0 1 4-4 7, Tyler Webb 2 0 0-0 4, Travis Carey 2 0 2-3 6, Raphael Glover 2 0 0-1 4, Ty Gunther 0 0 0-0 0, Kyle Adkins 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-44 13-16 48. 3-point goals: 3-12. Rebounds: 9-O, 21-D = 30 (Bryant 8). Team rebounds: 4. Assists: 4 (Young 2). Steals: 9 (Young 2, Glover 2). Turnovers: 21. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: Young (4th 1:18), Carey (4th 0:30).

WHEELERSBURG (7-3): Tanner Holden 4 0 3-3 11, Kyle Davis 3 2 2-3 14, Tanner Bivens 1 3 1-4 12, Keaton Newsome 2 0 0-2 4, Kaden Coleman 2 0 5-11 9, Daylor Lewis 0 0 0-0 0, Austin Lotspeich 0 0 0-0 0, Clayton Meadows 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17-54 11-23 50. 3-point goals: 5-16. Rebounds: 13-O, 19-D = 32 (Coleman 8). Team rebounds: 7. Steals: 8 (Davis 4, Holden 3). Turnovers: 21. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Coleman (4th 0:47).