Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

SARDINIA — Trying to get their games in is what finally did the South Point Pointers in.
Missing games from early in the season due to COVID-19 shutdowns, the Pointers played their fourth game in five days on Saturday and the grueling schedule took its toll in a 54-40 loss to the Eastern Brown Warriors.
“We just ran out of gas and we made too many turnovers. But when you get tired, you make those kind of mistakes,” said Pointers’ head coach Travis Wise.
The Pointers shot just 38 percent from the field and were guilty of 18 turnovers in the loss. Another factor from having tired legs saw the Pointers managed just 13 rebounds.
Eastern (14-1) took a 16-11 first quarter lead as Luke Garrett scored 12 points.
South Point (7-2) got 3-pointers from Jake Adams, Mason Kazee and Austin Webb.
The Pointers rallied to take a 22-21 halftime lead as Nakyan Turner drained a pair of 3-pointrs and sank two foul shots while Webb added another 3-pointer.
Adams and Webb each hit 3-pointers and scored 5 points in the third quarter to extend their lead, but Eastern went on a 9-0 run to end the third to take a 40-34 lead.
But the Pointers managed just 6 points in the fourth quarter while the Warriors’ Ryan Boone scored 10 of his 12 points and both Colton Vaughn and Garrett each sank a pair of foul shots as they outscored South Point 14-6.
Webb had 15 points and Turner 12 points to lead the Pointers. Xander Dornon had 6 rebounds.
Garrett scored 25 points to lead Eastern.
The Pointers host Gallipolis on Tuesday and visit Rock Hill on Friday.
South Point 11 11 12 6 = 40
Eastern Brown 16 5 19 14 = 54
SOUTH POINT (7-2): Jake Adams 1 2 0-0 8, Nakyan Turner 2 2 2-4 12, Mason Kazee 0 1 0-0 3, Darryl Taylor 1 0 0-0 2, Austin Webb 3 3 0-1 15, Malik Pegram 0 0 0-0 0, Jordan Ermalovich 0 0 0-0 0, Carmelo Sammons 0 0 0-0 0, Xander Dornon 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-36 2-5 40. 3-pt goals: 8-14. Rebounds: 13 (Dornon 6). Assists: 10 (Kazee 3, Turner 2, Webb 2). Steals: 5 (Adams 2). Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Adams, Turner.
EASTERN BROWN (14-1): Ryan Boone 6 0 0-0 12, Luke Garrett 5 2 9-10 25, Colton Vaughn 3 0 2-2 8, Andres Vargas 0 0 0-0 0, Ethan Daniels 3 0 3-3 9, Christian Hoskins 0 0 0-0 0, Coy Unger 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Hundley 0 0 0-0 0, Christian Amburgey 0 0 0-0 0, Byron Helbling 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 2 14-15 54. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.