PEDRO — Back to the Future Part IV.

After reverting back to their old ways, Ironton coach Mark LaFon “explained” to his team that they needed to return to the way they have been playing the last half of the season.

That return to what they do best worked again as the Fighting Tigers pulled away from the South Point Pointers for a 60-42 win Saturday and the Division III sectional championship.

“We were playing hard but we were doing things wrong,” LaFon said. “We went back to playing like we did early in the year when we just looked for Dennis (Gagai) to shoot the ball. Everyone just kept passing to Dennis.”

Gagai, the dead-eye senior shooter, had a rare off night from the outside even though he still managed to score 18 points.

“Dennis was getting his shots, he was just being impatient. Instead of passing a shot up and waiting for a better one, he was pulling the trigger too soon. We’ve worked all season to get him shots but to get everybody involved in the offense,” LaFon said.

Senior forward Brandon Walker finally got involved with the offense as he scored a career-high 22 points when he returned to his future style and gave Ironton the boost it needed.

“They were double and triple teaming Gagai like everyone does and we were still looking to pass to him. Coach told us to step up and find the open area and catch and shoot,” Walker said.

“Coach tells me to get in the flow of the game and then step out on the perimeter and shoot. I shoot better when I get in the flow.”

South Point (10-11) had upset on its mind and came out of the gate by scoring the game’s first eight points and led 12-7 at the end of the first quarter as J.T. Terry scored six points.

Ironton shot an abysmal 2 of 16 from the field in the quarter.

After missing his first seven shots, Gagai started to find the range in the second quarter with nine points. Gagai hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 16-16 and Walker’s 3-pointer put Ironton ahead for the first time at 19-18 with 3:28 left in the half.

Joey Stevens got a layup and Jeremiah Taylor followed up a missed shot as South Point went up 22-19. Two foul shots by Gagai and one by Walker tied the game at the half, 22-22.

Two steals by Marc Carter to begin the second half led to Ironton layups by Carter and Gagai and Ironton had a 26-22 lead.

South Point stayed on Ironton’s heels and tied the game 34-34 when Taylor went 3 of 4 from the foul line with 1:35 on the clock.

Carter and Walker hit layups over the final 1:23 and Ironton had the lead at 38-34.

The Pointers tied the game for the final time after Terry hit a 15-footer and Chase McWhorter sank two free throws with 7:02 left to play.

Gagai answered with two foul shots and a 3-pointer for a 43-28 lead. Terry had a 3-point play but Walker drained a trey, made a layup and Alstan Carter got a steal and fed Marc Carter for a layup and it was 50-41 with 4:02 to go.

Marc Carter then converted six straight foul shots and both Carters got layups to complete a 17-0 run and put the game away with 1:25 to play.

“We got some turnovers at the start of the second half and that got us going and the crowd really got into the game and gave us a spark. I hope we get this kind of following the whole tournament. It was a real asset for our players,” LaFon said.

Marc Carter finished with 14 points. Gagai and Walker had eight rebounds each while Gagai also had three steals and six assists.

Terry led the Pointers with 17 points and seven rebounds. Taylor had 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to go with two blocked shots.

Ironton (16-5) will play Belpre at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, in the district semifinals at Ohio University.