Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

GALLIPOLIS — The Fairland Dragons proved that it doesn’t matter how you start, but how you dominate from the second quarter on.
After falling behind early, the Dragons stormed back to outscore the Gallipolis Blue Devils 57-28 over the final 20:40 of the game en route to a 75-48 Ohio Valley Conference win on Friday.
Gallipolis took a 7-0 lead to start the game as Justin Peck had seven points to put the Blue Devils up 13-11. Isaiah Howell scored seven points for the Dragons.
The Blue Devils were up 20-18 when Fairland went on an 18-2 run over the final 4:40 of the second quarter to lead 31-22 at the half.
Gunner Short led the surge with a pair of 3-pointers as he scored 10 points. Howell added seven more points and Luke Thomas scored five.
Thomas had seven points and Howell five in the third quarter as Fairland outscored Gallipolis 16-9 to build 52-31 cushion.
The Dragons held their biggest lead at 70-42 in the fourth quarter.
Thomas led the Dragons with 20 points, four assists and two steals. Howell had 19 points and 10 rebounds while Short scored 17 points.
Fairland (10-1, 5-0) shot 29-of-65 from the field for 45 percent and were 11-of-26 from the 3-point line for 42 percent.
Peck had 16 points and eight rebounds for Gallipolis (6-4, 3-2). Cory Call added 12 points and Zach Loveday grabbed nine rebounds.
Gallipolis was 19-of-46 from the field for 41 percent.
Fairland played in the Beast of the Southeast on Saturday and visits Chesapeake next Friday. Gallipolis is at River Valley on Tuesday.
Fairland    11    25    16    23    =    75
Gallipolis    13    9    9    17    =    48
FAIRLAND (10-1, 5-0): Ty Staten 2-3 0-1 1-2 5, Luke Thomas 4-5 4-8 0-0 20, Isaiah Howell 4-11 3-6 2-2 19, Joel Lambiotte 2-2 0-0 0-0 4, Matt Mondlak 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Austin Gartin 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Keedrick Cunningham 3-7 0-2 1-1 7, Dairus Stapleton 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Reilly Sowards 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Ian Chinn 0-0 1-1 0-0 3, Gunner Short 2-8 3-8 4-4 17, Chase Fisher 1-2 0-0 0-0 2. Totals: 29-65 8-9 75. 3-point goals: 11-26. Rebounds: 31 (Howell 10, Cunningham 5). Assists: 11 (Thomas 4, Staten 3). Steals: 3 (Thomas 2). Turnovers: 8. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.
GALLIPOLIS (6-4, 3-2): Miles Cornwell 0-1 2-4 0-0 6, Justin McClelland 2-7 1-4 2-2 9, Evan Wiseman 0-2 0-2 0-0 0, Kaden Thomas 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Blaine Carter 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Dondre Armstong 0-2 1-1 0-0 3, Cory Call 4-6 1-2 1-2 12, Gage Harrison 0-0 0-1 0-0 0, Justin Peck 7-10 0-0 2-4 16, Zach Loveday 1-3 0-0 0-0 2. Totals: 19-46 5-8 48. 3-point goals: 5-14. Rebounds: 28 (Loveday 9, Peck 8). Assists: 7 (Wiseman 4). Turnovers: 25. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.