Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — The Fairland Dragons always seem like they need to get their engine warm before they start to really run.
The Dragons were only up 25-22 at the half in their first game before winning 59-50. On Tuesday, Fairland only led the Coal Grove Hornets 29-26 at the half.
But the Dragons got going again in the second half as they beat the Hornets 60-45 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
Aiden Porter led the Dragons with 22 points but Jacob Polcyn had a big all-around game with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Clayton Thomas added 11 points while Jordan Williams grabbed 5 rebounds and had 3 blocked shots.
Coal Grove (0-2, 0-1) was led by Cory Borders with 17 points including three 3-pointers. Evan Gannon added 11 points and 5 rebounds and Trevor Carey had 6 rebounds.
Borders made two foul shots with 5:59 on the clock to give Coal Grove an 8-4 lead.
Fairland came back to take a 9-8 lead when Thomas hit a 3-pointer at the 4:29 mark.
Porter made it 11-8 but Borders trifecta tied the game with 2:31 on the clock. Porter and Zander Schmidt scored around a 3-pointer by Gannon to end the quarter and Fairland led 15-14.
Trevor Hankins scored and Borders hit a basket as Coal Grove went up 18-15. Peyton Smith gave the Hornets a 20-17 lead with 5:54 left in the half.
But it proved to be the Hornets final lead as Fairland went on an 8-0 run to lead 25-20 with two minutes left in the half and it was 29-26 at the break.
The Dragons went on a 10-2 run to start the second half and go up 39-28. A 3-pointer by Thomas and a basket by Porter opened up a 44-30 lead with 2:49 on the third quarter clock.
Border drained a trey with 21 seconds on the clock and it was 45-35 at the end of the quarter.
Fairland began the fourth quarter like the third by going on another 10-2 run to lead 55-37 with 3:12 to play.
A basket by Hankins with 1:41 left made it 56-43 but the Hornets never got any closer.
On Friday, Fairland host South Point and Coal Grove visits Gallipolis.
Fairland 15 14 16 15 = 60
Coal Grove 14 12 9 10 = 45
FAIRLAND (2-0, 1-0): Jacob Polcyn 6-8 0-1 1-3 13, Aiden Porter 5-8 2-7 6-8 22, Gavin Hunt 4-6 0-0 0-0 8, Clayton Thomas 1-2 3-8 0-1 11, J.D. Thacker 0-0 0-0 0-0, Tevin Taylor 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Mason Manns 0-0 0-0 0-0, Nate Thacker 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Cameron Mayo 0-0 0-0 0-0, Jordan Williams 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Zander Schmidt 3-4 0-1 0-0 6, Zach Tooley 0-0 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 24-47 7-12 60. 3-pt goals: 5-18. Rebounds: 9-O, 24-D = 33 (Polcyn 13, Williams 5). Assists: 12 (Polcyn 3, Porter 3). Steals: 6 (Hunt 2, Polcyn 2). Blocks: 3 (Williams 3). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.
COAL GROVE (0-2, 0-1): Perry Kingery 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, Cory Borders 3-10 3-10 2-2 17, Evan Gannon 0-1 2-5 5-6 11, Peyton Smith 1-5 0-3 1-4 3, Trevor Hankins 3-4 0-0 0-0 6, Luke Ferguson 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Malachi Wheeler 1-4 0-1 0-2 2, Jarren Hicks 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Trey Hunt 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Ethan Short 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Trevor Carey 2-5 0-0 0-2 4. Totals: 16-49 8-16 45. 3-pt. goals: 5-19. Rebounds: 9-O, 13-D = 22 (Carey 6, Gannon 5). Assists: 5. Steals: 3 (Ja. Hicks 2). Blocks: 3. Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.