By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

It wasn’t planned, but it turned out to be a “White Out” game.

Ethan White was out of sight as he scored a career-high 26 points and was his usual vacuum cleaner self on the boards with 14 rebounds as the Ironton Fighting Tigers beat the Rock Hill Redmen 84-62 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“Ethan White was HUGE,” said Ironton coach Chris Barnes. “He had 26 points and it seemed like he had 20 rebounds. He played a great game.”

Ironton (8-4, 7-2) used a pressure defense and fast break offense to score its highest point total of the season.

Braden Schreck had 20 points and 8 rebounds and Shaun Terry 17 points — 15 in the first half — 7 rebounds and 4 steals to help fuel the win. Lincoln Barnes had 5 rebounds and 3 assists with Landen Wilson getting 3 assists and 2 steals.

“Our press is super effective. That’s how we’re going to play the rest of the year. That’s got to be our style,” said Barnes.

“We’ve still got to continue to get batter at the free throw line. If we make those, we’re up 20 at the half. I keep telling them that’s how you stretch the lead But it’s stuff we can correct.”

Rock Hill (5-8, 1-8) had 3 players in double figures was Noah Doddridge and Blake Porter scored 14 each and Brayden Adams added 11 points. Doddridge grabbed 9 rebounds and Izzak Cox had 6 boards and 8 points.

Barnes said that the 22-point win wasn’t as easy as the scoreboard might suggest.

“Rock Hill is improved. They never quit. They’ve been in every single game this year. They’re good. We didn’t take them lightly,” said Barnes.

Ironton took a 5-0 lead to start the game and never trailed. The biggest lead was 64-40 on a layup by White just before the end of the third quarter.

A basket by Schreck gave Ironton a 22-11 first quarter lead.

A layup by Doddridge to the Redmen within 24-17, but an 8-0 spurt opened up a 39-22 lead with less than 3 minutes left in the half.

White had a 3-point play for a 45-28 lead before 2 free throws by Dylan Griffith got the Redmen within 45-30 at the half.

The Fighting Tigers outscored Rock Hill 19-12 in the third quarter as Schreck had 8 points.

Rock Hill    11 19 12 20 = 62

Ironton     22 23 19 20 = 84

ROCK HILL (5-8, 1-8): Noah Doddridge 5 0 4-4 14, Dylan Griffith 0 2 3-4 9, Brayden Adams 3 1 2-4 11, Izzak Cox 4 0 0-0 8, Blake Porter 4 0 6-7 14, Landon “Lando” Harper 1 0 0-0 2, Nixon Snavely 0 0 0-0 0, Victor Day 1 0 2-2 4,. Totals: 21-55 17-22 62. 3-pt goals: 3-19. Rebound: 10-O, 22-D = 32 (Doddridge 9, Cox 6). Team/deadball rebounds: 5. Assists: 10, Steals: 6. Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: Cox (1:50 4th).

IRONTON (8-4, 7-2): Lincoln Barnes 2 0 2-2 6, Shaun Terry 4 2 3-4 17, Landen Wilson 2 0 0-0 4, Braden Schreck 10 0 0-5 20, Ethan White 4 3 9-14 26, Amari Felder 0 0 0-0 0, Tayden Carpenter 1 0 0-0 2, Tyler Roach 1 1 0-0 5, Bryce Markins 1 0 0-0 2, Markel Cotton 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 32-69 14-25 84. 3-pt goals: 6-18. Rebounds: 19-O, 24-D = 43 (White 14, Schreck 8, Terry 7, Barnes 5). Teams/deadball rebounds: 2. Assists: 13 (Barnes 3, Wilson 3). Steals: 7 (Terry 4, Wilson 2). Blocks: 3 (White 2, Barnes 1). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: None.