Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

JACKSON — They say it’s hard to beat a team for a third time in one season.
With the Fairland Dragons, it’s been hard to beat them once.
The Dragons — now 19-4— beat the Rock Hill Redmen for the third straight time this season, but this one was 35-19 in the Division III sectional tournament on Wednesday.
Fairland will now play Albany Alexander at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday in the sectional finals.
The Dragons were paced by Aiden Porter with 10 points and three rebounds, Matt Mondlak nine points, and Clayton Thomas with seven points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Ian Chinn grabbed six rebounds and Jacob Polcyn had four rebounds and three assists.
Fairland shot 13-of-35 from the floor for 37 percent and only 2-of-12 from behind the arc.
Kadin France had 10 points and four rebounds to pace the Redmen (4-19) who shot just 7-of-26 from the field for 27 percent including 1-of-6 from the 3-point line.
Mondlak hit a 3-pointer, Polcyn added three points and Chinn had a basket to account for all of Fairland’s first quarter offense.
Meanwhile, the defense held the Redmen scoreless and it was 8-0.
Porter scored six points in the second quarter and Thomas knocked down a trifecta as Fairland took a 19-6 lead at the break.
France had four points and Braydon Malone two for Rock Hill.
The Redmen were down 23-10 after three quarters as each team scored only four points.
Fairland could only muster baskets by Chinn and Thomas while France and Malone hit two-pointers.
In the fourth quarter, the Dragons outscored the Redmen 12-9 to settle the outcome.
Mondlak scored four points, Porter was 4-of-4 at the line and Thomas 2-of-2.
France scored four points and Owen Hankins drained a triple for Rock Hill.
Rock Hill 0 6 4 9 = 19
Fairland 8 11 4 12 = 35
ROCK HILL (4-19): Logan Hankins 0-2 0-1 0-0 0, Garrett Miller 0-2 0-1 0-0 0, Jake Blagg 1-5 0-1 0-0 2, Caleb Davis 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Blankenship 0-1 0-1 0-0 0, Owen Hankins 0-2 1-2 0-0 3, Braydon Malone 2-3 0-0 0-0 4, Cameron Donohue 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Jacob Schwab 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Kadin France 4-5 0-0 2-2 10, Lane Smith 0-0 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 7-26 2-2 19. 3-pt goals: 1-6. Rebounds: 10 (France 4). Assists: 1 (L. Hankins). Steals: 1 (Miller). Turnovers: 17. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.
FAIRLAND (19-4): Jacob Polcyn 1-4 0-0 1-2 3, Aiden Porter 3-7 0-2 4-4 10, Gavin Hunter 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Matt Mondlak 3-4 1-3 0-0 9, Austin Gartin 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Mason Manns 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Ian Chinn 3-4 0-0 0-0 6, Nate Thacker 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Andy Lange 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Clayton Thomas 1-3 1-7 2-3 7. Totals: 13-35 6-9 35. 3-pt goals: 2-12. Rebounds: 23 (Chinn 6, Polcyn 4, Thomas 3, Porter 3). Assists: 7 (Polcyn 3, Thomas 2). Steals: 9 (Hunt 2, Thomas 2). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 6. Fouled out: None.