Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — Winning for the South Point Pointers was a 3-point plan.

South Point hit nine 3-point goals and withstood a strong second half comeback to edge the Coal Grove Hornets 51-49 on Tuesday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

John Johnson scored 16 points including three 3-pointers and Brandon Barnes scored 12 points with a pair of triples as the Pointers climbed into a three-way tie for the OVC lead.

Marquise Foley added 10 points as the Pointers improved to 4-4 and 2-1 in the league. Coal Grove fell to 5-4 and 3-2.

‘We hit nine 3’s and that was the difference,” said Pointers’ coach Chris Barnes. “Our defense was good. We held them to 49 points, but our offense went stagnant.”

Conor Markins led the Hornets with 14 points and he knocked down three trifectas of his own. Brandon Adkins scored 13 points.

Barnes scored all 12 of his points in the first half including a pair of trifectas in the first quarter as South Point took an 18-10 lead. The Pointers hit four 3-pointers in the quarter with Audric Harlow and Foley getting one each.

Adkins had 6 points and Isaiah Gunther 4 in the second quarter but the Pointers still managed to extend their lead to 32-21 at the break.

The Pointers were up 43-31 at the end of the third quarter, but Coal Grove stormed back in the fourth quarter.

Markins scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as he drained three 3-pointers.

But Johnson had 11 points in the second half including 6 of the Pointers’ 8 points in the fourth quarter to help preserve the win.

“We got passive. We tried to do the right thing, but we just went about it the wrong way,” said coach Barnes.

“But give Coal Grove credit for coming back. They could have rolled over and died but they kept playing hard.”

South Point 18 14 11 8 = 51

Coal Grove 10 11 10 18 = 49

SOUTH POINT (4-4, 2-1): John Johnson 3 3 1-2 16, Stephen Wagoner 0 0 0-0 0, A.J. Nease 0 1 0-0 3, Audric Harlow 1 1 0-0 5, Brandon Barnes 3 2 0-0 12, Marquise Foley 2 2 -0 10, Eli Ketron 0 0 1-2 1, Brady Rickard 0 0 0-0 0, Brandon Boggs 2 0 0-0 4. Totals: 11 9 2-4 51. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.

COAL GROVE (5-4, 3-2): Jonathon Joseph 0 0 0-0 0, Sean Paulus 0 2 0-0 6, Isaiah Gunther 3 0 0-0 6, Brandon Adkins 4 0 5-8 13, D.J. Miller 1 1 1-2 6, Joe Akers 1 0 0-0 2, Conor Markins 1 3 3-4 14, Austen Pleasants 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 11 6 9-14 49. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.