Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

CHESAPEAKE — Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, meet the Chesapeake Panthers.

The quick swing from playing well to playing bad has haunted the Panthers all season and it was there again on Wednesday.

Fortunately, Dr. Jekyll was in uniform most of the game as the Panthers beat the South Point Pointers 58-46 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

After going back and forth most of the first half, the Panthers took a 12-point half time lead and led by as many as 14 before the Pointers stormed back to within two points with 4:25 to play.

“The big thing with this team is we’re not very mature. It’s hard for us to show up every night,” said Chesapeake coach Ryan Davis.

“I don’t know why it is. It should be improving. Hopefully, it’s getting there, but I don’t see the same team every night we step on the floor and it starts on the defensive end.”

Providing some Dr. Jekyll performances for the Panthers were Brad Meadows with 20 points and 12 rebounds, Jakes Stevens with 12 points including three big 3-pointers, and Gage Rhoades had 11 points, three assists and two steals.

South Point (5-9, 5-5) got some strong efforts from Tayshaun Fox with 20 points and Elijah Adams with 12 points. Tanner Hall grabbed six rebounds.

However, Pointers’ coach Travis Wise noted that his team shot like Mr. Hyde as they converted 10-of-16 at the foul line.

“Free throws killed us. We were two for our last eight. That was the difference. And we didn’t have any offensive rebounds. We were one and done,” said Wise.

“But we played hard. I’m proud of them. To take a team like that with three minutes to go, I’ll take it going into the tournament.”

The lead changed hands five times over the first part of the game until a steal and layup by Rhoades gave Chesapeake the lead for good at 14-13 with 7:21 left in the half.

Stevens hit three a string of three 3-pointers that put the Panthers ahead 26-18.

Two foul shots by Fox had the Pointers down 26-20 but a three-point play by Meadows, a layup by Wesley Stephens and a clutch 3-pointer by Casey McComas at the buzzer opened up a 34-22 halftime lead.

A layup by Stevens with 4:50 on the third quarter clock gave the Panthers a 40-26 lead.

But the Pointers went on an 11-2 run to close the quarter including a 10-footer by Adams with six seconds left and it was 42-37.

A triple by Adams and a layup by Chris Woodard with 4:25 to play cut the deficit to 44-42.

“We got some really good looks. We missed some passes, missed some easy shots, had some turnovers that were goofy, and when you’re not guarding tremendously, all of a sudden it’s back to a game real quick,” said Davis.

But Austin Hutchison scored off a nice pass from Rhoades and Meadows hit a layup for a 48-42 lead.

Rhoades hit a short-range jumper, Hutchison made a layup and Kolton Webb converted a three-point play with a minute left and it was 55-43.

Chesapeake hosts Portsmouth in a key league game on Friday. South Point visits Waverly on Saturday.

South Point 13 9 15 9 = 46

Chesapeake 10 24 8 16 = 58

SOUTH POINT (5-9, 5-5): Jared Whitt 0 0 0-0 0, Tanner Hall 2 0 2-3 6, Tayshaun Fox 4 2 6-10 20, Elijah Adams 3 2 0-0 12, Cody Runyon 0 0 0-0 0, Chris Woodard 2 0 0-1 4, Caleb Pennington 0 0 2-2 2, Caleb Eplion 0 0 0-0 0, Logan Wade 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 16-41 10-16 46. 3-point goals: 4-15. Rebounds: 8-O, 14-D = 22 (Hall 6, Runyon 4). Team rebounds: 7. Assists: 3. Steals: 4 (Eplion 2). Turnovers: 11. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.

CHESAPEAKE (14-3, 8-2): Jake Stevens 1 3 1-2 12, Kolton Webb 1 0 3-3 5, Gage Rhoades 5 0 1-4 11, Brad Meadows 7 0 6-8 20, Wesley Stephens 1 0 0-0 2, Austin Hutchison 2 0 1-4 5, Casey McComas 0 1 0-0 3. Totals: 21-42 12-21 58. 3-point goals: 4-6. Rebounds: 9-O, 22-D = 31 (Meadows 12, Hutchison 8). Team rebounds: 2. Assists: 12 (Stevens 4, Rhoades 3, Webb 2). Steals: 6 (Rhoades 2, Webb 2). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: Stephens (4th 4:25).