Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — The Fairland Dragons were just three-mendous.
After the Fairland girls hit 19 3-pointers on Monday night, the boys answered with 19-of-29 from behind the arc on Tuesday as they beat the Ironton Fighting Tigers 91-52 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
Luke Thomas scored 27 points as he hit nine 3-point goals — he was 9-of-14 from the arc — to lead the Dragons (12-3, 7-0). The Dragons 6-foot-8 senior center Kollin Van Horn scored 25 points and his three 3-pointers as he eclipsed the 1,000-career point milestone early in the second half.
Isaiah Howell was the third Fairland player in double figures with 16 points as he hit four 3-pointers.
“They’re good. They’re very good. They’re as good of a team as I’ve seen in a long time,” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon.
“You can’t leave (Thomas) open. If you don’t do it, he makes you pay for it.”
Ironton (3-10, 1-5) was led by Charlie Large with a season-high 19 points and he buried four 3-pointers of his own. Ethan Wilson had 12 points and five rebounds while 6-3 freshman center Reid Carrico finished with nine points and five rebounds.
“(Large)got his confidence going. That was a bright spot tonight,” said LaFon. “(Carrico) did a really good job. He seems to be growing each time out.”
Fairland went to work from the opening tip as Thomas, Van Horn and Howell all hit 3-pointers and it was 9-0.
Ironton answered with a 15-footer by Wilson and a 3-pointer by Kyle Adkins and it was 9-5.
Fairland was up 21-10 after a 3-pointer by Howell but Large converted a 3-point play and it was 21-13 with 1:01 left in the quarter.
Large hit his second 3-pointer of the quarter just before the buzzer and Ironton trailed 23-16.
Thomas quickly opened up breathing room as he hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second quarter and the lead was 29-16.
A short jumper by Carrico got Ironton to within 35-22, but Fairland got 3-pointers from Thomas and Howell and a layup by Keedrick Cunningham and it was 45-25 with two minutes left in the half.
Wilson scored four points before a jumped by Van Horn made it 47-29 at the break.
Adkins followed up a missed shot to start the second half but Van Horn hit a mid-range jumper at the 7:21 mark to make it 49-31 and give him 1,000 career points.
Carrico drove for two points but Thomas had two 3-pointers and Van Horn hit two triples of his own and it was 63-33.
The Dragons led 70-39 after three quarter and hit five more 3-pointers in the fourth quart — one each by Howell, Cunningham, Matt Mondlak and Luke and Clayton Thomas — as they outscored Ironton 21-13.
Ironton will host South Point on Wednesday and Gallipolis on Friday. Fairland entertains Coal Grove on Friday.
Ironton       16    13    10    13    =    52
Fairland    23    24    23    21    =    91
IRONTON (3-10, 1-5): Ethan Wilson 4 0 4-5 12, Joel Blankenship 0 0 0-0 0, Charlie Large 3 4 1-1 19, Kyle Adkins 1 2 0-0 8, Reid Carrico 4 0 1-2 9, Ayden Barnes 1 0 0-0 2, Hunter Humphreys 1 0 0-0 2, Ryan Payne 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Milleson 0 0 0-0 0, Collin Freeman 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-51 6-8 52. 3-pt goals: 6-15. Rebounds: 13-O, 9-D = 22 (Carrico 5, Wilson 5). Team rebounds: 1. Assists: 3 (Wilson 2). Steals: 1 (Wilson). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.
FAIRLAND (12-3, 7-0): Isaiah Howell 2 4 0-0 16, Ty Staten 0 0 0-0 0, Luke Thomas 0 9 0-0 27, Kollin Van Horn 7 3 2-2 25, Keedrick Cunningham 2 1 1-2 8, Joel Lambiotte 1 0 3-4 5, Matt Mondlak 1 1 0-1 5, Austin Gartin 0 0 0-0 0, Ian Chinn 0 0 0-0 0, Clayton Thomas 0 1 0-0 3, Andy Lange 0 0 0-0 0, Ty Wilcoxon 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 32-57 6-9 91. 3-pt goals: 19-29. Rebounds: 12-O, 18-D = 30 (Cunningham 6, Van Horn 6,  Wilcoxon 4). Team rebounds: 1. Assists: 22 (L. Thomas 6, Staten 5, Howell 4). Steals: 9 (Howell 5) Turnovers: 6. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.