Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — The South Point Pointers found that going slower helped them move faster.
The Pointers slowed down and got under control in the second quarter and blew the game open as they beat the Coal Grove Hornets 64-35 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.
South Point led just 9-8 after the first quarter but outscored the Hornets 24-10 in the second quarter to take control of the game.
“We tried to rush things a little bit early in the game,” said Pointers’ coach Travis Wise.
“We didn’t box out or they would have only scored two points in the first quarter. But we picked it up in the second quarter. We knew Coal Grove has some health issues and we took advantage of that.”
Austin Webb scored 9 points and Chance Gunther hit a 3-pointer and scored 8 points in the second quarter as the Pointers pulled away to a 33-18 halftime lead.
Peyton Smith had 5 points including a pair of free throws with no time on the clock for the Hornets.
Gunther hit another trey and scored 10 points while Webb had his own triple and got 6 points as the Pointers extended the lead to 49-29 at the end of the third stanza.
Trevor Hankins scored 6 points and Evan Gannon hit a 3-pointer for the Hornets.
Webb hit a 3-poitner and had 5 points in the fourth quarter as both teams emptied their benches.
Webb had 20 points and 6 rebounds, Gunther 18 points, 3 assists and 3 steals and Brody Blackwell 9 rebounds to pace the Pointers (5-4, 4-2).
Hankins had 11 points and Smith 10 points for the Hornets (3-7, 2-4).
South Point goes to New Boston on Saturday and host Chesapeake on Tuesday. Coal Grove plays in the Beast of the Southeast on Saturday and visits Portsmouth on Tuesday.
South Point 9 24 16 14 = 64
Coal Grove 8 10 11 6 = 35
SOUTH POINT (5-4, 4-2): Chance Gunther 5 2 2-4 18, Brody Blackwell 0 2 0-0 6, Austin Webb 6 2 2-2 20, Nakyan Turner 3 0 0-0 6, Kyle Badgett 1 0 0-0 2, Darryl Taylor 0 0 0-0 0, Mason Kazee 1 1 0-0 5, Jake Adams 0 0 0-0 0, Carmelo Sammons 1 0 0-0 2, Braxton Horn 1 0 1-2 3. Totals: 26-50 5-8 64. 3-pt goals: 7-20. Rebounds: 30 (Blackwell 9, Webb 6). Assists: 14 (Gunther 3, Webb 3). Steals: 11 (Gunther 3, Blackwell 2, Kazee 2). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.
COAL GROVE (3-7, 2-4): Perry Kingery 0 0 0-0 0, Evan Gannon 0 1 2-2 5, Peyton Smith 2 0 6-10 10, Trevor Hankins 5 0 1-4 11, Malachi Wheeler 0 0 0-0 0, Ethan Short 2 0 0-0 4, Chase Short 1 0 1-2 3, Luke Ferguson 1 0 0-1 2, Dryzen Mullens 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 11 1 10-19 35. Fouls: 7. Fouled out: None.