Panthers stun Eagles to win sectional title
Published 11:13 pm Saturday, February 23, 2019
Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com
JACKSON — Tournament fans, we have our first major upset courtesy of the Chesapeake Panthers.
Facing the seventh-ranked, once-beaten Beaver Eastern Eagles in the Division III sectional finals on Saturday, Chesapeake turned up the defense in a stunning 58-49 win.
The Panthers will play West Union at 4:45 p.m. on Saturday in the district semifinals at Ohio University’s Convocation Center.
Chesapeake is now 15-9 on the season with eight of the losses coming against Ohio Valley Conference teams.
Eastern (22-2) took an 18-11 first quarter lead as Hunter Cochenour hit three 3-pointers and Cody Weaver scored six points.
Tyler Hutchison had four points and Levi Blankenship hit a 3-pointer for the Panthers.
The Eagles scored to begin the second quarter and led 20-11, but the Panthers finished the half with a 16-4 run and went up 27-24 at the break.
Blankenship drained two more 3-pointers and Eli Archer had four points as five different players scored.
Chesapeake continued to apply the defensive pressure in the third quarter and built its biggest lead at 39-27 with just under two minutes to play in the quarter.
The Panthers outscored the Eagles 14-7 as they extended their lead to 41-31.
Austin Jackson and Hutchison scored four points each in the quarter as five different players scored again.
Cochenour made a pair of 3-pointers to account for six of the Eagles’ seven points in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Eastern was forced to foul and the Panthers answered the call as they converted 9-of-12 attempts.
Blankenship was 4-of-4 at the line while Travis Grim and Hutchison each went 2-for-2.
Weaver had six more points in the fourth quarter, Michael Miller had four points, Evan Leist hit a 3-pointer and scored five points and Cochenour added another triple.
The Panthers had three players in double figures as Blankenship scored 15 points, Hutchison 14 and Archer 13.
Cochenour had 18 points — all on 3-pointers — to lead Eastern. Weaver scored 12 and Miller 10.
Chesapeake 11 16 14 17 = 58
Eastern 18 6 7 18 = 49
CHESAPEAKE (15-9): Travis Crum 0 0 2-4 2, Nathan Cox 2 0 0-0 4, Levi Blankenship 1 3 4-4 15, Austin Jackson 3 0 0-0 6, Josh Cox 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Dearth 2 0 0-0 4, Tylan Hutchison 5 0 4-5 14, Eli Archer 6 0 1-2 13. Totals: 19 3 11-15 58. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None.
BEAVER EASTERN (22-2): Evan Leist 1 1 2-2 7, Logan Clemons 0 0 0-0 0, Brennen Slusher 0 0 0-0 0, Hunter Cochenour 0 6 0-0 18, Oran Logan 0 0 0-0 0, Parker Clemmons 1 0 0-0 2, Cody Weaver 6 0 0-0 12, Michael Miller 4 0 2-4 10. Totals: 12 7 4-6 49. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: P. Clemmons.