Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

There’s something about the Ironton Fighting Tigers that brings out the worst in the South Point Pointers.
Probably their defense.
Ironton beat the Pointers 58-17 in their first meeting and it wasn’t any better on Tuesday as the Fighting Tigers held South Point to only seven first half points — none in the second quarter — in a 53-36 Ohio Valley Conference win.
“We came out and really got after it. We were diving on the floor. It gets your team going,” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon.
Playing without injured leading scorer Charlie Large, Reid Carrico had 14 points and was the Windex spokesman as he cleaned the glass with 15 rebounds to lead Ironton (13-5, 8-3).
Ethan Wilson and Jordan Grizzle scored 10 points each. Wilson had three assists and three steals with Grizzle getting two steals and two assists.
South Point (7-11, 4-7) was led by Austin Webb with 12 points and six rebounds. Nakyan Turner had 10 points and Mason Kazee five rebounds.
The game was tied 5-5 early but a layup by Grizzle gave Ironton the lead for good at 7-5 with five minutes left in the first quarter.
Carrico had four straight points and Wilson scored off a nice pass from Trent Milleson and Wilson’s 14-footer made it 15-5.
The Pointers then got a running layup by Turner just before the buzzer that proved to be their final points of the half.
Milleson had a baseline jumper and Carrico a steal and layup that ignited a 14-0 run.
Trent Hacker’s trey made it 27-7 and Hunter Humphreys’ layup made it 29-7 at the break.
Gunther broke the drought as he hit back-to-back 3-pointers to begin the second half and it was 29-13. The Pointers got within 35-18 on a foul shot by Marcus Malone.
But layups by Milleson and Carrico put Ironton in front 41-20 to end the quarter.
Webb hit a layup and a foul shot to start the fourth quarter and it was 41-23, but a trifecta by Ironton’s Ayden Barnes put the lead at 44-23 with 4:30 to play and the reserves finished up.
Ironton visits Coal Grove on Friday and Chesapeake on Saturday. South Point hosts Rock Hill on Friday.
South Point 7 0 13 16 = 36
Ironton 15 14 12 12 = 53
SOUTH POINT (7-11, 4-7): Chance Gunther 0 3 0-0 9, Nakyan Turner 3 0 4-5 10, Austin Webb 4 1 1-2 12, Brody Blackwell 0 0 0-0 0, Mason Kazee 1 0 1-2 3, Roger Staggs 0 0 1-2 1, Marcus Malone 0 0 1-2 1, Garrett Carmon 0 0 0-0 0, Kyle Badgett 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12-40 8-13 36. 3-pt goals: 4-19. Rebounds: 9-O, 8-D = 17 (Webb 6, Kazee 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 1. Assists: 3. Steals: 7 (Webb 2, Kazee 2, Turner 2). Turnovers: 11. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.
IRONTON (13-5, 8-3): Ethan Wilson 3 1 1-2 10, Jordan Grizzle 4 0 2-2 10, Reid Carrico 6 0 2-3 14, Ayden Barnes 0 1 0-0 3, Collin Freeman 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Milleson 4 0 0-0 8, Erickson Barnes 0 0 0-1 0, Trent Hacker 1 1 1-1 6, Will York 0 0 0-0 0, Richard Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Cable Hopper 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-38 6-9 53. 3-pt goals: 3-7. Rebounds: 10-O, 22-D = 32 (Carrico 15, Wilson 3, Hacker 3). Team/deadball rebounds: 4. Assists: 7 (Wilson 3, Grizzle 2). Steals: 7 (Wilson 3, Grizzle 2). Turnovers: 15. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.