Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

SOUTH POINT — One team did, one team didn’t. Guess which team won?
The South Point Pointers were able to execute better than the Ironton Fighting Tigers and came away with a 56-47 Ohio Valley Conference win on Tuesday.
“It was a hard time getting into the flow of the game,” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon. “It’s just an execution issue. There’s a lot to learn from situations like this.
“South Point did a very good job executing and we did a poor job staying out of foul trouble.”
Chance Gunther came off the bench to score 16 points including 7-of-8 from the foul line. The Pointers were 23-of-28 from the line.
Austin Webb had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Pointers (8-10, 4-8).
Ethan Wilson had a game-high 20 points along with two assists and two steals for Ironton (5-13, 3-8). Kyle Adkins scored 13 points and had five rebounds. Reid Carrico and Trent Milleson had five rebounds each.
Adkins had back-to-back putbacks to start the game. Carrico — who sat most of the first half in foul trouble — made a foul shot and then Adkins drained a 3-pointer and it was 8-0 at the 3:48 mark.
Douglas Shaffer hit a 3-pointer for the Pointers but Wilson made two straight layups as Ironton took a 12-7 first quarter lead.
Wilson converted a three-point play to give Ironton a 15-12 lead to start the fourth quarter. South Point then took over and went on a 11-0 run to lead 18-15.
Wilson’s layup ended the run but a layup by Webb off a pass from Dustin McCarty and a three-point play by Tayshaun Fox gave the Pointers a 23-17 lead.
Milleson connected on two free throws for Ironton only to have Roger Staggs and Brody Blackwell each hit a foul shot for the Pointers and it was 25-19 at the break.
Shaffer hit a 3-pointer to start the second half and Wilson answered with a layup. But A layup by Jared Whitt and two straight putbacks by Webb opened up a 34-21 lead.
Ironton was whistled for a technical foul during a timeout and Fox made both free throws and the lead was 36-21. Wilson scored and it was 36-23 at the end of the quarter.
A three-point play by Gunther put the Pointers up 44-28. However, Ironton got a three-point play by Milleson and to trigger a 10-2 run capped by a trifecta by Wilson and a free throw by Carrico and it was 46-38.
Webb made two foul shots for a 48-38 lead but Wilson had a three-point play and turned a steal into a layup and Ironton trailed 48-43 with 1:52 left.
“It’s a bad thing to use the word proud when you lose, but these kids never quit,” said LaFon.
Ironton was forced to foul and Gunther sank four free throws and Fox had two more and it was 54-45.
On Friday, Ironton hosts Coal Grove while South Point visits Rock Hill.
Ironton       12    7    4    24    =    47
South Point    7    18    11    20    =    56
IRONTON (5-13, 3-8): Ethan Wilson 7 1 3-4 20, Joel Blankenship 0 0 1-2 1, Kyle Adkins 4 1 2-4 13, Ayden Barnes 0 0 0-0 0, Reid Carrico 2 0 2-4 6, Trent Milleson 1 0 3-3 5, Ryan Payne 0 0 0-0 0, Hunter Humphreys 0 0 0-0 0, Collin Freeman 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-42 11-17 47. 3-pt goals: 2-11. Rebounds: 12-O, 16-D = 28 (Carrico 5, Milleson 5, Adkins 5). Team rebounds: 5. Assists: 5. (Blankenship 2, Wilson 2). Steals: 9 (Blankenship 4, Wilson 2). Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 25. Fouled out: Barnes (4th 0:45).
SOUTH POINT (8-10, 4-8): Douglas Shaffer 0 2 2-2 8, Jared Whitt 1 0 0-0 2, Tayshaun Fox 1 0 7-7 9, Dustin McCarty 0 0 0-0 0, Austin Webb 6 0 3-5 15, Chance Gunther 3 1 7-8 16, Roger Staggs 1 0 3-4 5, Brody Blackwell 0 0 1-2 1. Totals: 15-37 23-28 56. 3-pt. goals: 3-12. Rebounds: 8-O, 16-D = 24 (Webb 9). Team rebounds: 7. Assists: 4. Steals: 4 (McCarty 2). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: Staggs (4th 2:54).