ATHENS – Peebles gave a challenge, but Andrew Burleson was more than up to it.

Friday, March 02, 2001

ATHENS – Peebles gave a challenge, but Andrew Burleson was more than up to it.

Burleson scored 38 points including eight in a row during a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter as the Wheelersburg Pirates beat the Peebles Indians 67-53 Thursday in the Division III district semifinals.

Down by 10 at the half and as many as 14 in the third quarter, Peebles scored four points to end the third quarter to trail 43-35.

Lee McCoy hit a 3-pointer and Michael Cheesbro scored with four minutes left to get Peebles within 43-42.

Burleson, who had 20 points the first half, then scored eight straight points in a minute span as Wheelersburg opened up a 52-42 lead.

Bryan Yelley added 10 points for the Pirates, now 22-1.

McCoy scored 16 points and Cheesbro 14 for Peebles (15-8).

Wheelersburg will play Belpre at 8:15 p.m. Friday, March 9, in the district finals.

Belpre (20-2) rallied from an 8-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Eastern Brown 82-77.

Pat Klein had 32 points, Kyle Holbert 21, and Nick Morey 16 for Belpre. R. J. Buechler scored 25 and Kyle Stout 21 for Eastern Brown.

Peebles 7 11 17 18 – 53

Wheelersburg 12 16 15 24 – 67

PEEBLES (15-8): Tyler Wilson 0 0 0-0 0, Adam Carroll 3 0 1-1 7, Lee McCoy 3 3 1-2 16, Michael Upok 0 0 0-0 , Michael Cheesbro 4 2 0-0 14, Adam Myers 0 0 0-0 0, Seth Smaller 4 0 0-0 8, Allen Carroll 1 0 0-0 2, Ben Shoemaker 1 0 0-0 2, Josh Shoemaker 2 0 0-0 4. Totals: 18 5 2-3 53. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: None.

WHEELERSBURG (22-1): Dusty Winebrenner 0 0 0-0 0, Jeremy Elswick 0 0 0-0 0, Paul Miller 1 0 2-2 4, Dustin Chamberlin 2 0 2-5 6, Miles Ferguson 0 0 1-2 1, Geoff Givan 2 0 4-4 8, Bryan Yelley 3 0 4-5 10, Andrew Burleson 15 0 8-10 38, Seth Myers 0 0 0-0 0, Nate Weaver 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 0 21-28 67. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.

Officials: John Evans, Eric Holmes, Rod Nichols.