By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

ATHENS — OK, the comebacks were fun and exciting, but this was the regional semifinals and it was time to get serious.

And the Chesapeake Panthers did just that.

After a couple of come-from-behind tournament wins to reach the Division 5 regional semifinals, the Panthers got off to a fast start and went on to ride past the Martins Ferry Purple Riders 73-53 on Friday at the Ohio University Convocation Center.

“We’ve been sort of a slow starting team here lately. We really challenge them pregame. We’re like, we’re in the Sweet 16. We don’t have time to come in at halftime down and try to work our way back out. You’re just playing with fire when you do it so many times,” said Panthers’ coach Steven Ater.

“But credit to our guys. They were locked in and focused. You could tell in warmups they were really, really intense and ready to play and that carried over to the start of the game.”

Chesapeake (23-3) will now play Minford (24-1) at 4:30 p.m. in the Region 19 championship game with the winner advancing to the state semifinals.

The Panthers last made the regional finals in 2010, the same season they earned a berth in their only Final Four.

“For our kids, it’s a great opportunity for our kids to join that rare air at Chesapeake. There’s a lot of tradition and history here at Chesapeake,” said Ater.

“For our kids to have a chance to join an elite class like that, that company is a special opportunity.”

Martins Ferry took a 2-0 lead on a tip-in by 6-foot-6 Alex Reese. It was the Purple Riders only lead of the game.

After missing their first three shots of the game, the Panthers hit seven straight shots including 3-pointers by Maddox Kazee and Kaden Perkins and two from Philip Thacker.

After a steal and layup by Ethan Kerns and two free throws by Kazee, the Panthers had jumped out to a 20-8 first quarter lead.

Ater attributed the fast started to a carryover from this past week’s practice.

“We had a really good week of practice. In practice, this was the first week we’ve seen the ball movement we’ve been striving for all season but haven’t seen,” said After.

“I thought we started a little slow, but once we started figuring out (Martins Ferry’s defense) and getting ball movement, our guys got confidence, and made a bunch of shots. We found the open guy and the open guys were ready to shoot.”

Layups by Kazee and Drew Plantz made it 24-10 and a 3-pointer by Kazee put the lead at 27-14. Reese made a layup to get Martins Ferry within 14 points.

An 8-0 run by the Panthers opened up a 46-18 lead with 1:16 left in the third quarter. Kerns and Reese traded layups and it was 42-22 at the break.

Maurice Barnett made a layup and then a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 52-36 with 2:42 left in the third quarter, but the Purple Riders could get no closer.

Kazee drilled a 3-pointer and sank two foul shots to put the lead at 57-16 at the end of the quarter.

The Panthers got a layup from Frecka and a steal and layup by Kazee that gave the Panthers their biggest lead at 66-43 with 5:20 to play.

Kazee and Perkins scored. 22 points each to lead the Panthers. Thacker finished with 12 points and Kerns added 9.

Kazen had 7 rebounds and Frecka 5 as Chesapeake out-rebounded Martins Ferry 28-23.

Reese led the Purple Riders with a game-high 24 points to go with 13 rebounds.

“He’s a great player. He’s as complete a package of a player I’ve seen that size and athleticism. He had a great game. I thought our guys did a great job on their other guys,” said Ater. “We did a good job making the other players rush to not get into rhythm.”

Martins Ferry    8 14 16 15 = 53

Chesapeake  20 22 15 16 = 73

MARTINS FERRY (13-12): Gavin Little 2 0 0-0 4, Maurice Barnett 3 2 0-0 12, Alex Reese 11 0 2-2 24, Elijah Smith 1 2 0-2 8, Tevin Williams 1 1 0-0 5, Matt Cost 0 0 0-0 0, Jermaine Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Walkquem Cox 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 5 2-4 53. Rebounds: 23 (Reese 13). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.

CHESAPEAKE (23-3): Ethan Kerns 4 0 1-2 9, Kaden Perkins 4 3 5-6 22, Maddox Kazee 3 4 4-4 22, Philip Thacker 3 2 0-0 12, Karson Frecka 3 0 0-0 6, Jon Cooper Barker 0 0 0-0 0, Drew Platz 1 0 0-0 2, Landon Kerns 0 0 0-0 0, Dennis Scarberry 0 0 0-0 0, Andrew Isaacs 0 0 0-0 0, Peyton Muncy 0 0 0-0 0, Andy Chapman 0 0 0-0 0, Jackson Spitler 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 9 10-12 73. Rebounds; 28 (Kazee 7, Frecka 5, Kerns 4). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None.