Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

One team played well. One team didn’t play well.
Unfortunately for the Ironton Fighting Tigers, they weren’t the team that played well.
Precision passing and good shooting were the keys for the Chillicothe Cavaliers who beat the Ironton Fighting Tigers 59-51 in the annual Ironton Classic on Friday.
The Cavaliers (5-3) had only one turnover in the first half and shot 22-of-43 from the field for 51 percent.
Ironton (2-3) did not play with the same energy as their previous two games against Gallipolis and Wheelersburg and left them behind by 13 points early and by 22 points in the third quarter.
The Fighting Tigers shot only 37 percent from the field (20-of-53) and had 14 turnovers — 10 coming in the first half.
Reid Carrico’s layup to start the game gave Ironton its only lead. Tre Beard then hit a 3-pointer and Jayvon Maughmer scored inside and the Cavaliers were off and running.
Chillicothe went on an 11-4 run to lead 16-6 and a 3-pointer by Beard had the lead at 19-8 before Charlie Large’s basket cut the spread to 19-10 at the end of the quarter.
Trent Milleson hit a baseline shot to start the second quarter and Ironton was down 19-12. Vincent Roper made a layup, Brandon Noel had a couple of putbacks and it was 25-12 with 4:11 left in the half.
A triple by Beard at the buzzer gave the Cavaliers 28-18 lead at halftime.
Carrico’s layup had Ironton down 38-26 with four minutes to go in the third quarter when the Cavaliers scored 10 unanswered points as Maughmer hit two 3-pointers and Noel had two layups for a 48-26 lead at the 2:44 mark.
A follow up shot by Trent Hacker and a 3-pointer by Collin Freeman got Ironton within 48-31 to end the quarter.
Ironton did make somewhat of a comeback in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Cavaliers 20-11.
However, Chillicothe spend the fourth quarter passing the ball and eating clock. The Cavaliers took only six shots and were 7-of-9 at the foul line including 5-of-7 over the final 1:03.
Large had a three-point play and sank three foul shots to get Ironton within 56-47 but time was running out.
Large had 15 points — eight in the fourth quarter — and seven rebounds to lead Ironton. Carrico had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Noel pace the Cavaliers with 17 points and seven rebounds. Beard hit four 3-pointers as he scored 16 points and Maughmer added 12 points and five rebounds.
Ironton played Ashland on Saturday in The Classic and travels to the Cuyahoga Falls Shootout next Friday and Saturday.
Chillicothe 19 9 20 11 = 59
Ironton 10 8 13 20 = 51
CHILLICOTHE (5-3): Tre Beard 0 4 4-4 16, Chris Postage 0 2 0-0 6, Brandon Noel 8 0 1-2 17, Jayvon Maughmer 2 2 2-512, Vincent Roper 4 0 0-0 8, Josh Howard 0 0 0-0 0, J’Quan Harris 0 0 0-0 0, Eli Taylor 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-43 7-11 59. 3-pt goals: 8-19. Rebounds: 9-O, 14-D = 23 (Noel 7, Maughmer 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 2. Assists: 6 (Maughmer 3, Beard 2). Steals: 8 (Maughmer 4, Beard 3). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.
IRONTON (2-3): Ethan Wilson 2 0 2-2 6, Jordan Grizzle 0 0 0-0 0, Reid Carrico 5 0 1-2 11, Charlie Large 4 1 4-4 15, Trent Milleson 3 0 0-0 6, Ayden Barnes 2 0 0-0 4, Hunter Humphreys 1 0 0-0 2, Collin Freeman 0 1 0-0 3, Trent Hacker 1 0 2-4 4, Erickson Barnes 0 0 0-0 0, Will York 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-53 9-12 51. 3-pt goals: 2-10. Rebounds: 18-O, 12-D = 30 (Carrico 8, Large 7, Milleson 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 1. Assists: 5 (Wilson 3). Steals: 5. Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.