Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

ASHLAND, Ky. — What a difference a year makes.
With four returning starters, the South Point Pointers relied on their veterans to rally past the Ashland Tomcats 64-61 in the season opener on Friday.
The Pointers trailed 16-7 after the first quarter and were down 29-25 at the half.
“Last year we wouldn’t have won this game. But our experience and seniors got us through it. I’m proud of the way we fought through adversity. We were down nine and in the third quarter you could see the confidence as we fought back,” said Pointers’ coach Travis Wise.
Elijah Adams — who scored a career-high 28 points including 7-of-8 shoot form the 3-point range — scored 11 points in the third quarter including two late 3-pointers as South Point erased a 9-point deficit to get within 47-46.
Adams got 6 more points in the fourth quarter including a triple as the Pointers took 58-49 lead with 4:52 left.
Ashland scored 9 unanswered points — 7 by Chase Villers — to tie the game. With the score 6-all, Tanner Hall hit two foul shots with 23 seconds left to give the Pointers the lead for good.

Villers hit a foul shot with 17 seconds left but Tayshaun Fox made two foul shots with 4.9 seconds to play to provide the margin of victory.
“We played well. We stayed the course and they did what they had to do to get the win. They kept their energy and played hard. Elijah Adams played an outstanding game,” said Wise.
Hall finished with 12 rebounds, Fox had 8 points and 8 assists, Jared Whitt had 7 points and 5 assists while Adams added 4 assists of his own.
Villers scored 21 points for Ashland (1-1). Devaunte Robinson had 15 points and Hunter Copley added 12.
South Point    7    18    21    18    =    64
Ashland    16    13    18    14    =    61
SOUTH POINT (1-0): Douglas Shaffer 0-0 0-1 0-0 0, Tanner Hall 2-3 0-0 3-5 7, Jared Whitt 2-3 1-4 0-0 7, Tayshaun Fox 3-4 0-1 2-2 8, Elijah Adams 3-4 7-8 1-3 28, Cody Runyon 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Cade Brandt 1-2 0-0 4-6 6, Caleb Eplion 2-2 0-0 0-0 4, Logan Wade 2-4 0-0 1-2 5. Totals: 15-28 8-14 11-18 64. Fouls: 24. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 25 (Hall 12). Assists: 18 (Fox 8, Whitt 5, Adams 4). Turnovers: 15.
ASHLAND (1-1): Chase Villers 3 2 9-13 21, Tate Dowdy 0 0 1-2 1, Hunter Copley 4 0 4-11 12, Joey McDavid 1 2 0-0 8, Devaunte Robinson 6 0 3-6 15, Dillon Lucas 1 0 0-0 2, Tyler Conway 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 16 4 17-31 61. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.