By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — It has been said that if you win the third quarter, you win the game.

Well, the Ironton Fighting Tigers won the third quarter. Big.

That old saying proved to be true on Friday as Ironton used a big third quarter to help beat the Portsmouth Trojans 79-64 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Ironton was leading by 5 points at halftime but outscored the Trojans 26-12 in the third quarter as they went on to win.

“I told them that third quarter was huge. We should’ve been up 10 or 12 at the end of the half but we had some turnovers and missed shots and we were up five,” said Ironton coach Chris Barnes.

“I told them to win it, get it up in double figures and we’re okay. We can let them cut it but we will have enough cushion to withstand any run they make.”

The lead changed hands 4 times and the score was tied 3 times in the first quarter including 19-all at the end of the stanza.

Tayden Carpenter came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points and Ethan White scored 5 points including a trifecta that gave Ironton a 36-26 lead with less than 2 minutes in the half.

But Portsmouth (7-14, 4-9) cut the deficit to 36-33 on a pair of free throws by Deandre Berry with 15 seconds left.

Carpenter’s layup off a pass from Schreck just before the buzzer made it 38-33 at the break.

Wilson’s 3-pointer gave Ironton a 45-35 lead at the 5:48 mark.

After a 3-point play by Kenny Sanderlin got the Trojans to within 45-38, Ironton went on a 15-2 run and it was 60-40 with 134 on the clock.

Shaun Terry scored 10 of the points in the offensive surge.

Leading 64-45 after three quarters, Ironton got a layup by Lincoln Barnes and a 3-point play by Terry to lead 69-45 with 5:44 to play.

The Trojans managed to cut the deficit to 73-62 with 1:38 to play on a layup by Donovan Breech, but Terry had 2 free throws, White drilled a 13-footer and Wilson sealed the outcome  on a layup with 15 second left.

Terry finished with 23 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. Schreck had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, White 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Barnes 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals.

“Braden had a great game. I’ve never had a kid get a triple-double,” said Barnes

“Terry had another big game, Whitey played well on both ends, Lincoln had a big game and Tayden and Landen had good, solid games. It was a good team win.”

Sanderlin scored a game-high 28 points and eclipsed 1,000 points for his career. He also had 11 rebounds. Berry scored 11 points.

Ironton had White, Wilson and Lincoln Barnes all with three fouls in the first half but finished the game without getting another foul.

“I don’t play like that. As a player myself, I have to be smart. I would beg the coach to let me play. I’m trying to teach these guys how to play that way,” said coach Barnes.

“Half the time you sit a guy a quarter in the first half with two fouls and he ends up with two fouls and all I did was ice my own player and help the other team.”

Ironton clinched second place in the OVC with the win. The Fighting Tigers are at Teays Valley Christian on Saturday and play at Rock Hill on Tuesday.

Ironton     19 19 26 15 = 79

Portsmouth 19 14 12 17 = 64

IRONTON (14-6, 10-3): Lincoln Barnes  4 0 2-2 10, Shaun Terry 6 1 8-11 23, Landen Wilson 2 1 0-2 7, Braden Schreck 6 0 4-7 16, Ethan White 4 2 1-1 15, Tayden Carpenter 1 2 0-0 8, Tyler Roach 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 29-52 15-23 79. 3-pt goals: 6-19. Rebounds: 7-O, 24-D = 31 (Schreck 10, White 6, Barnes 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 4. Assists: 17 (Schreck 10, Terry 5). Steals: 8 Wilson 2, Barnes 2, Terry 2). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.

PORTSMOUTH (7-14, 4-9): Devon Lattimore 2 0 5-5 9, Tyler Duncan 0 1 0-0 3, Kenny Sanderlin 7 2 8-10 28, Noah Livingston 3 0 0-0 6, Deandre Berry 2 1 4-4 11, Isaiah Lewis 0 0 0-0 0, Brock Anthony 0 0 0-0 0, LeVaughn Cobb 1 0 0-0 2, Luke Stine 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-52 17-19 64. 3-pt goals: 5-14. Rebounds: 8-O, 16-D = 24 (Sanderlin 11, Livingston 6). Team/deadball rebounds: 5. Assists: 4. Steals: 3. Turnovers: 11. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.