By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The Ironton Fighting Tigers found being second made them first.

The Fighting Tigers second game of the season saw them use a huge second quarter to give them the third annual Flyers Invitational championship as they beat the host St. Joseph Flyers 64-39 on Saturday.

St. Joseph led 14-8 at the end of the first quarter and then Ironton went on a 30-0 run including a 29-0 second quarter that settled the outcome.

“I was worried about back-to-back (games) off eight, nine days of practice. You could tell in the first quarter that we looked like the walking dead out there,” said Ironton coach Chris Barnes.

“The second quarter we woke up. I’ll say it a hundred times. Our defense is our offense. When we play good defense, we’re rebounding, we’re not standing around watching. We can’t run if we don’t have the ball. We just didn’t play and ‘D’ the first quarter.”

St. Joseph (3-3) took a 14-8 first quarter lead as Evan Balestra scored 8 points include a layup that put the Flyers up 12-5.

Tayden Carpenter hit a 3-pointer tomato it 12-8 but Erikia Jackson hit a baseline jumper as the Flyers led 14-8.

But the Flyers couldn’t connect on any field goals, missed two free throws and had 11 turnovers against the Ironton defense.

With Shaun Terry scoring 21 of his game-high 27 points, Ironton went on their 29-0 run to lead 37-14 at the half.

“Shaun Terry had an unbelievable second quarter,” said Barnes. “(Friday), Braden (Schreck) had a big game. Today it was Shaun. We’re just unselfish.”

Ethan White san a foul shot to start the third quarter to complete the 30-0 run. St. Joseph then got two fouls shots by Hunter Staten, Jackson hit a 15-footer and Jake Stephens made a layup as the Flyers made it 38-20.

But St. Joseph could not get any closer the rest of the game.

Besides Terry’s scoring output, Braden Schreck and Ethan White each had 8 points with White grabbing 9 rebounds and both Schreck and Terry pulled down 5 rebound and had 2 assists.

Landen Wilson had 4 assists and 3 steals while Lincoln Barnes had 3 steals.

Wesley Neal led the Flyers with 10 points. Drew Brown had 12 rebounds and Balestra grabbed 10 boards.

Tournament sponsors are: Awards Plus Tees, Joe Isaac/ Tri-State Rehab, Mike Balestra BHM CPA Group, Bruce Roach II/BRUCESCARTS.COM, Brenda Roach Thompson Photography, Ben & Julie Roach, Jack Leonard and Greg Bryant Insurance.

Raceland beat Grace Christian 80-57 in the consolation game.

Ironton     8 29 15 12 = 64

St. Joseph 14 0 13 12 = 39

IRONTON (2-0): Lincoln Barnes 1 0 1-2 3, Shaun Terry 8 3 2-2 27, Landen Wilson 0 0 0-0 0, Braden Schreck 1 0 6-10 8, Ethan White 3 0 2-6 8, Amari Felder 2 0 0-0 4, Hayden Carpenter 1 1 2-4 7, Bryce Martins 1 0 2-2 4, Tyler Roach 0 0 0-0 0, Markel Cotton 0 1 0-0 3, Nick Sites 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-51 15-26 64. 3-pt goals: 5-13. Rebounds: 7-O, 25-D – 32 (White 9, Schreck 5, Terry 5). Assists: 12 (Wilson 4, Schreck 2, White 2). Steals: 12 (Barnes 3, Wilson 3). Blocks: 3 (White, Felder, Cotton). Turnovers: 11. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.

ST. JOSEPH (3-3): Erikai Jackson 3 0 0-0 6, Kai Coleman 0 0 1-2 1, Evan Balestra 4 0 0-1 8, Hunter Staton 2 1 2-2 9, Drew Brown 0 0 0-0 0, Landon Rowe 0 0 0-0 0, Wesley Neal 3 0 4-7 10, Brady “Quinn” Medinger 0 0 0-0 0, Jake Stephens 1 1 0-0 5, Carter Johnson 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 2 7-12 39. 3-pt goals: 2-15. Rebounds: 11-O, D-21 = 32 (Brown 12, Balestra 10). Assists: 4. Steals: 3. Turnovers: 19. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: Drew Brown.