Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — The Chesapeake Panthers were supposed to win their opening round game of the Division 3 sectional tournament without much of a problem.

They did.

Levi Blankenship and Ben Bragg combined for 39 points as the Panthers routed the winless Crooksville Ceramics 66-35 on Tuesday.

Blankenship cored 20 points and Bragg had 19 points as the Panthers advanced to the sectional finals Friday at home against Ironton.

Chesapeake took a 17-13 lead as Dannie Maynard scored all 6 of his points and Levi Blankenship also had 6 points with 2 coming at the line.

The Ceramics were able to stay close as Raygen Wolfe had a pair of 3-pointers and Konlan McIntyre had a trey.

The Panthers took command in the second quarter as they opened up a 37-19 lead at the break.

Blankenship scored 7 points, Ben Bragg hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points while Caleb Cox got 4 of his 10 points.

Chesapeake blew the game wide-open in the third quarter by outscoring the Ceramics 20-9 to make it a 57-28 game.

Bragg scored 11 of the 20 points, Cox had 4 points and Blankenship added a 3-pointer.

Blankenship hit a couple of baskets early in the fourth and Carter Collins came off the bench to hit a trifecta for the Panthers.

Wolfe scored 13 points for Crooksville (0-23).

Crooksville 13 6 9 7 = 35

Chesapeake 17 20 20 9 = 66

CROOKSVILLE (0-23): Landon Addington 2 1 3-8 10, Ryan Moore 2 0 0-0 4, Gunnar Chevalier 0 0 0-0 0, ClayBurns 0 0 0-0 0, Brody Thomas 0 0 1-2 1, Konlan McIntyre 0 1 1-2 4, Cooper Watts 0 0 0-0 0, Vaughn Childress 0 1 0-0 3, Raygen Wolfe 2 3 0-0 13, Trenton Cottrell 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 6 6 5-12 35. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Watts.

CHESAPEAKE (13-8): Caleb Cox 5 0 0-1 10, Levi Blankenship 7 1 3-3 20, Dannie Maynard 3 0 0-0 6, Cameron Shockley 0 0 0-0 0, J.D. Daniels 2 0 0-0 4, Austin Henderson 0 0 0-0 0, Braxton Oldaker 1 0 2-2 4, Ben Bragg 6 1 4-8 19, Carter Collins 0 1 0-0 3. Totals: 24 3 9-14 66. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.