Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

What a difference a day makes.
After losing 40-36 at Rock Hill on Tuesday, the St. Joseph Flyers bounced back and stunned the Sciotoville East Tartans 71-69 in overtime on Wednesday to make for a successful homecoming game.
“We played some good basketball. What a difference 24 hours can make,” said Flyers’ coach Rex Cooksey. “I told the kids before the game we have to take on the challenge. We have to be aggressive. I didn’t think we weren’t aggressive last night.”
The Flyers lost 50-34 to East back in December as the Ironton Classic. But this time the Flyers were the aggressors as they hit 25-of-46 field goal attempts for 54 percent and were 8-of-11 from behind the 3-point line for a sizzling 73 percent.
Chase Walters had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Flyers (6-7). Isaac Whaley drained five 3-pointers and scored 16 points while Zac McGraw had 13 points and seven rebounds.
Clay Willis added eight points and eight rebounds and Peyton Adkins hit three 3-pointers for nine points.
“We had people making plays, wanting the basketball and being aggressive. I was proud of them, especially in a bound back game. You can go one of two ways. They played with a tough and aggressive nature all night,” said Cooksey.
Akia Brown had a game-high 31 points for East. Kyle Flannery scored 15 and Will Shope added 11.
Whaley scored six and McGraw five in the first quarter as St. Joseph took a 17-15 lead. Brown had six for the Tartans.
Brown got nine points in the second quarter as East rallied to take a 29-28 lead at the break.
But Walters scored seven points and Adkins added a pair of triples as St. Joseph regained the lead at 43-42.
Walters scored 10 points and Whaley hit two more 3-pointers as St. Joseph took a 4-point lead with time running out.
But Brown — who had 10 points in the quarter — came off a screen to hit a 3-pointer, was fouled and converted the foul shot for a 4-point play to tie the game at 62 with eight seconds left in regulation.
A 3-point attempt by the Flyers failed to connect and forced overtime.
Clay Willis scored six points in the overtime and the Flyers were 7-of-8 at the foul line. Willis was 4-of-4, Tre Neal 2-of-2, and McGraw made a free throw with six seconds left to give St. Joseph a 71-69 lead.
After an East timeout, Drew Lowe launched a 3-point attempt from in front of the Tartans’ bench that fell short.
St. Joseph will play at Raceland, Ky., Friday, Jan. 27, and Northwest on Jan. 28, before hosting Ohio Valley Christian in a girl-boy doubleheader on Jan. 30.
Sciotoville    15    14    13    20    7    =    69
St. Joseph    17    11    15    19    9    =    71
SCIOTOVILLE EAST (NA): Kyle Flannery 5 1 2-4 15, Will Shope 1 3 0-0 11, Drew Lowe 1 0 2-2 4, Deshaun Martin 0 0 1-2 1, Akia Brown 5 3 12-14 31, Kanyon Bruton 2 0 3-4 7, Brady Douthat 0 0 0-0 0, J.D. Hatcher 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14 7 20-26. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.
ST. JOSEPH (6-7): Isaac Whaley 0 5 1-2 16, Clay Willis 2 0 4-5 8, Peyton Adkins 0 3 0-0 9, Zac McGraw 4 0 5-8 13, Tre Neal 0 0 2-2 2, Chase Walters 11 0 1-1 23, Zac Roach 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 8 13-18 71. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: Whaley.