Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The Ironton Fighting Tigers’ needed a real pick me up, so Trent Milleson picked his team up and carried them for a while.
With leading scorer and rebounder Reid Carrico on the bench most of the game, Milleson scored a career-high 17 points including four 3-pointers as Ironton beat the Coal Grove Hornets 54-40 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.
Carrico was whistled for his second foul with 5:24 left in the first quarter and sat the rest of the half. Enter Milleson who hit all his 3-pointers the rest of the half.
“Our effort was better than it was against South Point. Milleson stepped up for us. Reid got in early foul trouble and (Milleson) gave us a boost,” said Ironton coach P.J. Fitch.
“Collin Freeman did a great job on Borders. I know Borders isn’t 100 percent, but you can’t give him a good look because he can knock it down.”
Ironton (8-7, 7-5) also got 12 points each from Gage Salyers and Jordan Grizzle. Trent Hacker had 6 rebounds with Carrico and Milleson grabbing 5 each.
Malachi Wheeler had 10 points and 6 rebounds for the Hornets and Cory Borders hit three 3-pointers for 9 points to pace the Hornets (4-13, 3-9).
Borders hit a 3-pointer to start the game as Coal Grove opened up a 7-2 lead.
Ironton came back to take a 10-7 lead on a layup by Salyers and a steal and layup by Freeman.
Malachi Wheeler’s 3-pointer tied the game for the Hornets at 10 but Trent Milleson drained a 3-pointer and Salyers drove for a basket and a 15-10 lead.
Evan Gannon’s 24-foot 3-pointer followed by Jarren Hicks’ putback got the Hornets even again at 15 with 6:54 on the clock.
But Milleson made another trifecta and Freeman drove for a layup and it was 20-15.
Two foul shots by Peyton Smith pulled the Hornets within 20-17 but Milleson hit a 3-pointer, got foul and hit the free throw for a 4-point play and Ironton was up 27-19.
Two foul shots by Grizzle with 1:27 left in the half that put Ironton ahead 29-19.
Carrico started the second half with a basket and his two foul shots at the 4:14 mark put Ironton ups 35-23.
“We kept talking about that in the huddle that over the first two minutes we wanted to separate ourselves ever further,” said Fitch.
Borders hit a 3-pointer and Wheeler made a layup to get Coal Grove within 37-28 with 2:04 left in the quarter.
But Milleson knocked down an 18-footer and Grizzle sank two foul shots with one second on the clock to put Ironton up 41-29.
Milleson’s 12-footer, a foul shot by Carrico and two free throws by Salyers extended the lead to 46-29 to start the fourth quarter.
Grizzle’s trifecta opened up a 49-32 lead and Coal Grove never got closer 50-37 on a 3-pointer by Borders with 2:39 to play.
NEXT UP: Coal Grove visits Raceland Saturday and South Point next Friday. Ironton host Elliott County on Saturday and visits Portsmouth next Friday.
Coal Grove 10 9 10 11 = 40
Ironton 15 14 12 13 = 54
COAL GROVE (4-13, 3-9): Cory Borders 0 3 0-0 9, Evan Gannon 1 1 3-4 8, Peyton Smith 1 0 5-8 7, Malachi Wheeler 3 1 1-3 10, Jarren Hicks 1 0 2-2 4, Perry Kingery 0 0 0-0 0, Trevor Hankins 0 0 2-2 2, Chase Hall 0 0 0-0 0, Dryzen Mullins 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 11-40 13-19 40. 3-pt goals: 5-20. Rebounds: 9-O, 12-D = 21 (Wheelers 6, Gannon 4). Team/deadball rebounds: 6. Assists: 2. Steals: 5 (Wheeler 2). Turnovers: 15. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.
IRONTON (8-7, 7-5): Gage Salyers 5 0 2-2 12, Trent Hacker 0 0 1-3 1, Jordan Grizzle 1 2 4-4 12, Reid Carrico 10 4-6 6, Collin Freeman 3 0 0-0 6, Trent Milleson 2 4 1-1 17, Brayden Easterling 0 0 0-0 0, Landen Wilson 0 0 0-0 0, Christian Wright 0 0 0-0 0, Cameron Deere 0 0 0-0 0, Tayden Carpenter 0 0 0-0 0, Will York 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-38 12-16 54. 3-pt goals: 6-10. Rebounds: 8-O, 21-D = 29 (Hacker 6, Carrico 5, Milleson 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 7. Assists: 8 (Salyers 3, Freeman 3) Steals: 7 (Grizzle 2, Salyers 2, Freeman 2). Turnovers: 15. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.