Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FRANKLIN FURNACE — This is what the Coal Grove Hornets had planned before the season began.
The Hornets were looking for balanced scoring but injuries have riddle the team all season.
With players getting healthy, the balanced scoring was back on Tuesday as the Hornets got past the Green Bobcats 65-57 in a non-conference game.
Cory Borders — who missed most of the season with a dislocated knee cap — scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Hornets with Evan Gannon scoring 17 and Peyton Smith netting 10.
Both Borders and Gannon made three 3-pointers.
The Bobcats also had three players in double figures led by Gage Sampson who scored 15 points before fouling out. Ethan Huffman scored 13 points and Levi Singleton hit four 3-pointers as he scored 12 points.
Green (9-10) was playing its first game in 17 days due to the flu epidemic that hit the area.
Coal Grove (6-14) took a 12-10 first quarter lead as Borders hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points.
Huffman had 4 points and Singleton hit a trey for the Bobcats.
Gannon had a pair of triples, Borders hit another and Smith scored 4 points as the Hornets took a 29-26 halftime lead.
Sampson scored 6 points, Singleton made two 3-pointers and Levi Sampson added a trey to keep the Bobcats nipping at the Hornets’ heels.
Both offenses got going in the third quarter as Coal Grove outscored Green 23-20 to extend the lead to 52-46.
Gannon had a 3-pointer and scored 7 points, Borders had a trifecta and scored 6 points and Malachi Wheeler added a 3-pointer for the Hornets.
Huffman got 7 points, Singled hit a 3-pointer and Gage Sampson and Alec Smith scored 4 points each for Green.
In the fourth quarter, Borders had 5 points including 3-of-4 from the foul line and Smith added pair of baskets.
Green was 5-of-7 at the line in the quarter as Levi Sampson was 3-for-4 as he scored 5 points and Gage Sampson was 2-for-3 and scored 4 points.
UP NEXT: On Friday, Coal Grove hosts Portsmouth and Green goes to Symmes Valley.
Coal Grove 12 17 23 13 = 65
Green 10 16 20 11 = 57
COAL GROVE (6-14): Perry Kingery 0 0 0-0 0, Cory Borders 4 3 4-6 21, Evan Gannon 4 3 0-1 17, Peyton Smith 5 0 0-4 10, Tait Matney 2 0 1-2 5, Luke Ferguson 0 0 0-0 0, Malachi Wheeler 1 1 1-2 6, Jarren Hicks 2 0 2-2 6. Totals: 18 7 8-17 65. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.
GREEN (9-10): Alec Smith 3 0 1-2 7, Ethan Huffman 6 0 1-6 13, Gage Sampson 5 0 5-7 15, Levi Singleton 0 4 0-0 12, Levi Sampson 1 1 3-4 8, Trevor Darnell 0 0 0-2 0, Caden Brammer 0 0 2-2 2, Wiley Sanders 0 0 0-0 0, Nathan Weigand 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 5 12-23 57. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: G. Sampson.