Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — Maybe South Point coach Travis Wise fed his team a couple dozen energy bars before the game on Tuesday.
Chance Gunther scored 26 points to help energize the South Point Pointers who rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Chesapeake Panthers 65-58 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
“The kids played as a team. They played with a lot of energy,” said Wise. “Gunther played well and he hit some big free throws down the stretch.”
Austin Webb had 18 points and five rebounds for the Pointers (1-1, 1-0) while Marcus Malone had a strong all-around game with 17 rebounds, three blocks and seven assists.
“Malone was the X-factor. He did a tremendous job for us. He controlled the boards,” said Wise.
Chesapeake (2-2, 0-1) had four players in double figures. Travis Grim had 12 points, Logan Walsh 11 points and both Tylan Hutchison and Levi Blankenship scored 10 each.
South Point took an 18-17 first quarter lead as Gunther scored eight points and Nakyan Turner had six points — both had a 3-pointer.
Chesapeake used a pair of 3-pointers each by Walsh and Blankenship to stay close.
Chesapeake (2-2, 0-1) came back to take a 30-28 halftime lead as Grim scored seven points including a 3-pointer. Malone hit two 3-pointers for South Point including one right before the buzzer.
Both teams scored 16 points in the third quarter and the Panthers were up 46-44. Hutchison had six points for the Panthers while Webb and Gunther scored seven each for the Pointers.
South Point rallied to outscore the Panthers 21-12 in the fourth as Gunther scored 10 points as he made two trifectas and sank 4-of-4 at the foul line.
Webb added five points as he knocked down a 3-pointer to go with a basket.
On Friday, Chesapeake is at Rock Hill and South Point visits Portsmouth.
South Point 18 10 16 21 = 65
Chesapeake 17 13 16 12 = 58
SOUTH POINT (1-1, 1-0): Darryl Taylor 0 0 0-0 0, Chance Gunther 4 4 6-6 26, Nakyan Turner 2 1 0-1 7, Roger Staggs 3 0 2-4 8, Austin Webb 7 1 1-2 18, Kyle Badgett 0 0 0-0 0, Brody Blackwell 0 0 0-1 0, Marcus Malone 0 2 0-0 6. Totals: 16 8 9-14 65. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.
CHESAPEAKE (2-2, 0-1): Logan Walsh 2 2 1-1 11, Travis Grim 4 1 1-3 12 Nathan Cox 1 0 0-0 2, Levi Blankenship 1 2 2-3 10, Austin Jackson 1 0 2-2 4, Josh Cox 0 0 0-2 0, Trent Dearth 1 1-2 3, Tylan Hutchison 5 0 0-0 10, Eli Archer 3 0 0-0 6. Totals: 18 5 7-13 58. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.