ATHENS – It was the "Gunfight at the Convo Corral" and the Chesapeake Panthers weren’t using the right kind of bullets.

Saturday, March 04, 2000

ATHENS – It was the "Gunfight at the Convo Corral" and the Chesapeake Panthers weren’t using the right kind of bullets.

But once the Panthers sheriff – coach Norm Persin – got his players guns strapped on right at halftime, Chesapeake came out firing bull’s-eyes.

Tied 31-31 at the half, Persin addressed his team in as-a-matter-of-fact Clint Eastwood-like terms.

"I told them we were in a gunfight and someone was going in the coffin and only one was coming back," said Persin.

Well, pilgrims, the Panthers are coming back at 6:15 next Saturday to the Ohio University Convocation Center after dominating the second half and whipping the Lucasville Valley Indians 64-47 Saturday afternoon.

"They didn’t believe us when we told them Valley can get get up and down the floor with us," said Persin. "The could match us with their speed, but they didn’t have an answer for Delimpo."

Anthony Delimpo, the Panthers 6-foot-5 junior center, was a force inside as he scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. He scored 12 of his points the second half as he hit all six of his field goal attempts.

"We were tied and we looked up and there were 16 minutes in our season. Everyone realized they had to step it up and give all they’ve got," said Delimpo.

"(Bobby) Barbour and (Andy) Clark were hitting outside and that spreads the zone out and opens it up for me inside."

Barbour finished with 15 points and Clark had 12 points and six rebounds. Adam Pemberton had a solid all-around game with eight points, four assists, and 10 of Chesapeake’s 11 steals.

"That’s the first game this year I’ve been in double figures in steals. I’ve been trying to do that all year," said Pemberton. "I feel we played much better the second half. We knew we had to play defense and get on the glass."

Chesapeake (20-2) will now play Wheelersburg which beat Westfall in the second half.

Lucasville (17-5) was led by Nate Bukiewicz with 14 points. Nolan Crabtree, who averages 19 points a game, had 12 points and 11 rebounds while Matt Keeney added 10 points.

Crabtree was just 2 of 15 from the field and eight of his points came at the foul line.

The Indians were just 17 of 56 from the field for 30.4 percent including 6 of 33 the second half.

"The second half we were a different team. We stepped it up defensively, Delimpo played well the second half, Pemberton was steady all night, and Clark and (Matt) White stepped it up on the glass," said Persin.

The game changed hands seven times the first quarter before Keeney hit an 8-footer off an inbounds pass to tie the scored 15-15 just before the horn.

Chesapeake back back the second quarter with a 10-0 run to open up a 29-20 lead at the 3:30 mark. Valley then put together its own streak and used a layup by Eric Mains with two seconds left to tie the game at 31-31.

Keeney’s 15-footer with 5:58 on the clock gave Valley its last lead at 33-31. Clark made two foul shots and Delimpo a layup to put Chesapeake on top 35-33.

Crabtree’s two foul shots tied the score only to have Delimpo answer with a three-point play at the 4:21 mark.

White’s three-point play, a 10-footer by Barbour, and another layup by White stretched Chesapeake’s lead to 49-39. Bukiewicz tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer and it was 49-41.

But Chesapeake continued its hot shooting the fourth quarter and things only got worse for Valley. The Panthers made 7 of 10 shots the final stanza and the Indians were 2 of 20, the second basket come with three seconds to play with the reserves in the game.

Up 51-43, Chesapeake ran off six straight points, four on layups by Clark. Keeney followed up a missed shot with 4:33 left to make it 57-43. The Panthers scored the next nine points before Valley’s final basket.

The Panthers starting forward Zeb Best twisted a knee at the 4:21 mark of the first quarter and did not return. However, Persin said he should play next Saturday.