Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — On the old TV show “The A-Team,” leader John “Hannibal” Smith would always say at the end of the show, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Hannibal and his team wouldn’t have been happy with the Ironton Fighting Tigers on Saturday, and neither was head coach Mark LaFon after a 71-59 loss to the Huntington St. Joseph Fighting Irish in the Big E Classic.
The Fighting Tigers squandered a 6-point lead twice in the first half and then watched as the Irish got red-hot in the second half en route to the win.
“We have to take care of the ball and execute the game plan. You can’t go out there and just do what you want,” said LaFon as his team fell to 1-1.
“We have to play with passion. (St. Joseph) played a good game in the second half and did what they had to do. That loss is on me. I didn’t have them ready to play.”
Deaundra Murphy poured din 37 points — 21 in the second half — as the defending West Virginia Class A state champions got their first win in three games.
John Morrison added 14 points and Garrick Hopkins add 10 for the Irish who were 16-of-24 from the field in the second half.
Ironton was led by Ethan Wilson with 18 points including 15 in the first half. Charlie Large had 14 points and Ryan Bryant had 12 points and 10 rebounds in his first game following a foot injury.
Ironton trailed just once at 2-0 in the first half and the game was tied twice including 33-33 at the half.
Wilson scored 7 points and Large 5 in the first quarter as Ironton took a 16-13 lead.
Joel Blankenship hit a 3-pointer to begin the second quarter to lead 19-13.
Wilson hit back-to-back trifectas for a 25-19 lead with 4:55 left in the half.
Ironton was up 31-26 on a layup by Raphael Glover off a pass from Isaiah Dodgion, but a 3-pointer by Morrison to tie the game at the half.
The Irish came out hot in the second half. Murphy hit a pair of shots and —  after a put-back by Large — Morrison hit  a triple.
For the game, the Irish were 28-of-51 for 55 percent inclduing 16-of-24 in the second half.
Murphy hit a long 3-pointer for a 43-39 lead. A 3-pointer by Morrison and a layup by Murphy made it 48-41.

Large hit a foul shot by Bolton made two baskets and Hopkins hit a triple as St. Joseph took its biggest lead at 55-42.
Wilson knocked down a trifecta to end the quarter and it was 55-45.
The Fighting Tigers began to get back into the game early in the fourth quarter. A reverse layup by Large and a put-back by Glover cut the Irish lead to 59-53.
Ironton was down 61-55 after a put-back by Bryant, but two more baskets by Murphy opened up a 65-55 lead that sealed the outcome.
Ironton hosts Wheelersburg on Tuesday.
Ironton       16    17    12    14    =    59
Hunt. St. Joe    13    20    22    16    =    71
IRONTON (1-0): Ethan Wilson 3 4 0-1 18, Charlie Large 5 1 1-2 14, Jourdyn Barrow 1 0 2-2 4, Ryan Bryant 3 0 6-6 12, Raphael Glover 3 0 0-0 6, Hunter Humphreys 1 0 0-2 2, Joel Blankenship 0 1 0-0 3, Isaiah Dodgion 0 0 0-0 0, Jordan Grizzle 0 0 0-0 0, Trevor Hacker 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Milleson 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-63 9-13 59. 3-point goals: 6-15. Rebounds: 19-O, 15-D = 34 (Bryant 10, Glover 6, Wilson 5, Large 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 1. Assists: 10 (Wilson 3, Bryant 2). Steals: 4 (Wilson 2, Large 2). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.
HUNTINGTON ST. JOSEPH (0-2): Deaundrea Murphy 12 3 4-5 37, Garrick Hopkins 1 2 2-2 10, John Morrison 3 2 2-4 14, Bronson Barker 1 0 0-0 2, Trent Speaks 0 0 0-0 0, Gabe Giompalo 2 0 0-0 4, Owen Huffman 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28-51 8-11 71. 3-point goals: 7-18. Rebounds: 6-O, 22-D = 28 (Morrison 7). Team/deadball rebounds: 3. Assists: 9 (Morrison 4, Hopkins 4). Steals: 5 (Murphy 2). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: Giompalo.