Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — You’re 16, you’re beautiful, and you’re mine.

No, Ringo Starr wasn’t singing “You’re Sixteen” to the noisy crowd Friday night. Instead, the number 16 was coming up big for Coal Grove as four players scored 16 points to key the Hornets 70-57 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Rock Hill Redmen.

Alex Bare, Conor Markins, Sean Paulus and Brandon Adkins all scored 16 points each as the Hornets improved to 5-1 on the season and 1-1 in the OVC.

Evan Morris had 20 points, Jacob Falls 12 points and Austin Collins 11 to lead Rock Hill (1-3, 1-1).

Morris scored 10 points in the first quarter as Rock Hill took a 19-18 lead. Adkins had 8 points for the Hornets.

Markins — who has become a target for opposing defenses — shook loose for 9 points in the second quarter and Paulus scored 7 as Coal Grove surge ahead 37-34 at the break.

Coal Grove outscored the Redmen 11-8 in the third quarter — Falls had all of Rock Hill’s points — and the lead was 48-42.

Bare took his turn among Coal Grove’s Sweet 16 quartet as he scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and the Hornets pulled away for the win.

Rock Hill 19 15 8 15 = 57

Coal Grove 18 19 11 22 = 70

ROCK HILL (1-2, 1-0): Evan Morris 6 2 2-2 20, Joey Stidham 0 0 2-3 2, Austin Collins 3 1 2-2 11, John Jenkins 0 1 0-0 3, Jacob Falls 3 2 0-0 12, Chandler Haskins 0 0 0-0 0, Shane Harper 0 0 0-0 0, Laden Delawder 1 2 1-2 9, Alex Nance 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 8 7-9 57. Fouled out: Collins, Delawder.

COAL GROVE (4-1, 0-1): Brandon Adkins 8 0 0-1 16, Joe Akers 0 0 1-2 1, Alex Bare 3 1 7-11 16, Kyle Estep 0 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Gunther 1 1 0-0 5, Conor Markins 2 2 6-7 16, Sean Paulus 4 2 2-2 16. Totals: 18 6 16-23 70.