Dragons escape Hornets’ upset bid

Published 2:33 am Saturday, January 18, 2020

Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — The Coal Grove Hornets didn’t pay attention to the records The Fairland Dragons learned not to pay attention to them.
Fairland was 13-1 and 7-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference entering Friday’s game against the Hornets who were 3-9 and 2-5.
Coal Grove played like a 9-3 team and the Dragons had to hold on for a 58-49 win over the upset-minded Hornets.
Jacob Polcyn led the Dragons with 23 points and 8 rebounds with Aiden Porter getting 14 points, 3 steals and 2 assists. Jordan Williams also had 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Hornets had three players in double figures as Evan Gannon scored 13, Malachi Wheeler 12 and Trevor Carey 10.
Wheeler and Trevor Hankins had 5 rebounds each.
Fairland played like the 10th-ranked team in the first quarter by taking a 23-10 lead. Porter hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points and Clayton Thomas had a 3-pointer and got 5 points.
Hankins and Gannon each hit 3-pointers for the Hornets.
Coal Grove turned the tables in the second quarter by outscoring the Dragons 22-13 and got within 36-32 at the half.
Wheeler hit two triples and scored 9 points and Gannon had 5 points including a 3-pointer to spark the comeback.
Fairland extended the lead to 47-42 in the third quarter as Polcyn scored 8 points. Gannon hit a trey and scored 5 points for the Hornets.
In the fourth quarter, Polcyn had 7 points as he made 3-of-3 from the line and Porter went 2-for-2.
On Tuesday, Coal Grove host Gallipolis and Fairland is at South Point.
Coal Grove 10 22 10 7 = 49
Fairland 23 13 11 11 = 58
COAL GROVE (3-10, 2-6): Perry Kingery 1-3 0-0 0-0 2, Cory Borders 0-0 0-1 0-0 0, Evan Gannon 2-6 3-8 0-0 13, Trevor Hankins 1-4 1-2 00 5, Luke Ferguson 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Malachi Wheeler 1-5 3-3 1-1 12, Jarren Hicks 3-7 0-0 1-2 7, Ethan Short 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Trevor Carey 3-6 0-0 4-6 10. Totals: 18-46 6-9 49. 3-pt goals: 7-14. Rebounds: 19 (Hankins 5, Wheeler 5). Assists: 6 (Gannon2, Wheeler 2, Hicks 2). Steals: 2. Turnovers: 15. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.
FAIRLAND (14-1, 8-0): Jacob Polcyn 8-15 0-1 7-7 23, Aiden Porter 3-4 2-3 2-2 14, Gavin Hunt 2-3 0-0 0-2 4, Clayton Thomas 2-3 1-4 0-0 7, Jordan Williams 2-2 0-0 0-1 4, Zander Schmidt 0-0 1-1 0-0 3, Tevin Taylor 0-1 0-0 0-0 0, Nate Thacker 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Totals: 22-38 9-12 58. 3-pt goals: 5-10. Rebounds: 25 (Polcyn 8, Williams 8) Assists: 11 (Williams 4). Steals: 8 (Porter 3, Hunt 2). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.

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