Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

GALLIPOLIS — Three Dog Night once sang, “Levi’s Coming.” Levi Blankenship came to Gallipolis on Friday and boy did he ever come.
Blankenship scored a career-high 37 points including 19 in the two overtime periods as the Chesapeake Panthers beat the Gallipolis Blue Devils 76-68 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
Devon Bellomy had 12 points and Travis Grim 9 for the Panthers (5-3, 3-3).
Gallipolis (1-3, 0-2) had four players in double figures led by Isaac Clary with 20 points. Cooper Davis scored 17 points while Carson Call had 12 and Noah Vanco 11.
Chesapeake took a 14-10 first quarter lead as Blankenship and Bellomy scored 4 points each and Grim hit a 3-pointer. Davis hit a trey and scored 5 points for Gallipolis.
The Blue Devils rallied in the second quarter to take a 22-21 halftime lead as Vanco hit 5 points as he and Davis each hit 3-pointers.
Gallipolis opened up a 40-33 lead in the third quarter as they converted 6-of-8 free throws. Clary and Fellure combined for 9 points.
Bellony score 8 of Chesapeake’s 12 points in the quarter.
Blankenship took over in the fourth quarter as he scored 8 points including 2-of-2 at the foul line. Ben Bragg scored 4 of his 6 points and the defense limited Gallipolis to 8 points to force overtime.
Blankenship had his only 3-pointer in overtime and scored 19 points in the two overtimes period.
Chesapeake 14 7 12 15 10 18 = 76
Gallipolis 10 12 18 8 10 10 = 68
CHESAPEAKE (5-3, 3-3): Caleb Schneider 0 1 4-5 7, Travis Grim 2 1 2-4 9, Nathan Cox 1 0 3-9 5, Levi Blankenship 14 1 6-8 37, Ben Bragg 2 0 2-2 6, Devon Bellomy 6 0 0-2 12, Jacob Lemley 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28-62 17-30 76. 3-pt goals: 3-9. Rebounds: 5-O, 22, D= 27. Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.
GALLIPOLIS (1-3, 0-2): Cooper Davis 4 2 3-4 17, Kenyon Franklin 0 0 0-0 0, Noah Vanco 3 1 2-2 11, Brody Fellure 2 0 2-2 6, Drake Phillips 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Johnson 0 0 0-0 0, Wesley Saunders 0 0 0-0 0, Carson Call 5 0 2-2 12, Connor Walter1 0 0-2 2, Isaac Clary 8 4-7 20. Totals: 26-64 13-18 68. 3-pt goals: 3-21. Rebounds: 7-O, 32-D = 47. Turnovers: 24. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: None.