By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — It was like trying to get the beauty — Belle — to kiss the ugly beast and it would all turn out wonderful.

Well, Belle just kinda gave the beast a hug but it proved to be enough to get the right result as the Ironton Fighting Tigers turned an ugly performance into a win as they beat the upset-minded Rock Hill Redmen 51-44 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Ironton shot just 36 percent from the field and a woeful 10-of-21 from the foul line but still managed to get the win and now sits atop the OVC at 4-0.

“It’s ugly but good. We didn’t play well but we still got the win. We’re finding ways to win,” said Ironton coach Chris Barnes.

“This is a very tough place to shoot the basketball. Don’t ask me why. I’ve been coming here for years and sometimes you get hot. Rock Hill did a good job not turning the ball over.”

Ironton (7-1) trailed for almost the entire first half before Braden Schreck completed a 3-point play with 50 seconds left in the half and the Fighting Tigers were up 18-16.

Izaak Cox scored inside to tie the game for Rock Hill but a foul shot by Shaun Terry put Ironton ahead 19-18 at the half.

A putback by Terry and a layup by Schreck gave Ironton a 26-23 lead only to have Dylan Griffith scored for the Redmen and it was 26-25. Markel Cotton, Bryce Markins and Terry all hit 3-pointers as Ironton went up 35-29 and the lead was 37-30 at the end of the third quarter.

Terry’s layup to start the fourth quarter made it 39-30 but Blake Porter knocked down a couple of 3-pointers as the Redmen cut the deficit to 41-36.

“We had a chance to blow them out right there and give Porter credit. It should have been double digit (lead) and he hit two straight 3s. He did a nice job,” said Barnes.

Terry’s 3-pointer gave Ironton a 47-39 lead but Griffith’s layup cut the deficit to 47-42.

Markel Cotton hit a foul shot, Terry sank two free throws and Schreck added one more as Ironton went up 51-42 with just 14 seconds to play.

Barnes lamented the foul shooting for the game.

“I’m kind of at a loss for that. We do them every day. At some point, they just have to go home, go out in the backyard, find a telephone pole, whatever, and just shoot a million of them and get confident,” said Barnes.

Terry finished with a game-high 20 points to go with 3 assists and 6 steals. Schreck had 17 points and 7 rebounds while Bailey Thacker pulled down 10 rebounds.

“Shaun has been in the gym working. That preseason ankle injury set him back a couple of weeks. We just need him to get healthy. Last year he was one of the better shooters in the area,” said Barnes.

Porter scored 18 points and Griffith 14 to pace Rock Hill (3-7, 0-4).

Ironton     4 15 18 14 = 51

Rock Hill 9 9 12 14 = 44

IRONTON (7-1, 4-0): Shaun Terry 4 3 3-4 20, Braylon Sturgill 0 0 0-0 0, Bailey Thacker 0 0 0-0 0, Bryce Markins 0 1 0-0 3, Tyler Roach 0 0 0-1 0, Markel Cotton 1 1 1-2 6, Tyler Roach 0 1 0-0 3, Maddix Markel 0 0 0-0 0, Braden Schreck 6 0 5-10 17, Ashton Layne 2 0 1-4 5. Totals: 18-50 10-21 51. 3-pt goals: 5-14. Rebounds: O-14, D-18 = 32 (Thacker 10, Schreck 7, Terry 6, Layne 5). Assists: 10 (Terry 3, Schreck 2, Layne 2, Thacker 2). Steals: 11 (Terry 6, Cotton 4). Blocks: 3 (Layne 2). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.

ROCK HILL (3-8, 0-4): Dylan Griffith 4 2 0-0 14, Braxton Harper 1 0 3-6 5, Levi Jenkins 0 0 0-0 0, Izaak Cox 3 0 0-0 6, Rylan Barker 0 0 0-0 0, Kelan Davidson 0 0 1-2 1, Blake Porter 4 3 1-2 18,  Aaron Workman 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17-41 5-10 44. 3-pt goals: 5-12. Rebounds: O-5, D-18 = 23. Assists: 7. Steals: 6. Blocks: 1. Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: None.