By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Hey coach, I think we ate too much Christmas fudge.

After a sluggish start, the Ironton Fighting Tigers shook off the holiday cobwebs and routed the Gallipolis Blue Devils 73-35 on Saturday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“It was that noon start and we still had the holidays lingering,” joked Ironton coach Chris Barnes.

“We made some really nice plays, some good stops, and then we made some careless turnovers. We threw the ball away and it wasn’t because of the defensive pressure was so great.”

Ironton (2-1, 1-0) kept building a comfortable lead only to have Gallipolis keep making runs to keep in a reasonable range.

But in the third quarter, Maddix Markel hit a 3-pointer for Ironton and Gabe Hammons converted a 3-point play for Gallipolis and it was 38-22.

Ironton then went on a 12-0 run before Hammons’ layup to end the quarter made it 52-29.

With Bryce Markins hitting a 3-pointer and a layup and Tyler Roach connecting from behind the arc, Ironton went on a 10-0 run to begin the fourth quarter and the issue was settled for good

“Markins hit like eight points in a row and that was the game,” said Barnes. “We scored 73 points and we’re doing so many things wrong that it’s driving me crazy. But it’s good to get a win.”

Gallipolis led 6-4 after a 3-pointer by Tripp Sola. Roach answered with his own trifecta and Schreck scored Ironton’s next 4 points and it was 11-6 at the end of the quarter.

Ironton opened up a 22-10 lead to start the second quarter as Markins and Schreck hit 3-pointers and then Schreck found Ashton Layne under the basket for a layup and suddenly it was 22-10.

A layup and two free throws by Roach doubled the score to 26-13 and a layup by Layne and a foul shot by Schreck with no time on the clock put Ironton up 33-17 at the half.

Cade Mock school and Ty Reed hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter and Gallipolis was down 40-27, but then Ironton went on its 22-2 blitz and erased any comeback hopes.

Schreck led Ironton with 18 points5 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Markins and Roach had 14 points each. Layne had 8 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

Mock scored 10 points for Gallipolis.

The Fighting Tigers will be right back in action on Monday at 2 p.m. when they host an unbeaten and talented Spring Valley.

“Technically, this is our third preseason game and each game we’ve seen a different defense which is good for us,” said Barnes. “But it’s in live action and we’re still finding our way.”

Gallipolis 8 9 12 6 = 35

Ironton     11 22 19 21 = 73

GALLIPOLIS (1-6, 0-5): Ty Reed 0 1 0-0 3, Tripp Sola 1 1 0-0 5, Gabe Hammons 3 0 3-5 9, Grant Owens 0 0 0-0 0, Cade Mock 4 0 2-6 10, Josh Watts 0 0 0-0 0, Ethan Ross 0 0 0-0 0, Wes Houck 0 0 0-0 0, Macen Meadows 1 2 0-0 8. Totals: 13-46 5-11 35. 3-pt goals: 4-15. Rebounds: 9-O 19-D = 28. Assists: 8, Steals 7. Blocks: 2. Turnovers: 22. Fouls: 8. Fouled out:None.

IRONTON (2-1, 1-0): Ashton Layne 4 0 0-0 8, Bryce Markins 1 4 0-0 14, Judah Barnes 0 2 2-2 8, Markel Cotton 0 0 0-0 0, Braden Schreck 5 1 5-7 18, Tyler Roach 2 2 4-4 14, Maddix Markel 2 1 0-0 7, Carson Freeman 0 0 0-0 0, Brycen Mullins 0 0 0-0 0, Kayden Edwards 1 0 0-0 2, Brayden Baker 1 0 0-0 2, Braylon Sturgill 0 0 0-0 0, Caleb Jacobs 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 26-55 11-13 73. 3-pt goals: 10-21. Rebounds: 7-O 21-D = 28 (Layne 9, Schreck 5, Barnes 5). Assists: 14 (Schreck 7, Barnes 3, Roach 3). Steals: 17 (Barnes 4, Schreck 3, Markel 3). Blocks: 5 (Layne 3, Schreck 1, Mullins 1). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 13 Fouled out: None.