Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

GALLIPOLIS — When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
That’s what the Ironton Fighting Tigers did time and again on Friday as they outlasted the Gallipolis Blue Devils in double overtime, 63-55.
Gallipolis (8-5, 6-3) missed two foul shots at the end of regulations with the score tied. The Blue Devils missed two more foul shots at the end of the first overtime holding a two-point lead and Charlie Large hit a clutch 13-footer to tie the game and send it to a second overtime.
At the start of the second OT, Ethan Wilson and Erickson Barnes each made a free throw, Large sank two more and Wilson had a big putback as Ironton went up 57-51 and made it hard for Gallipolis to recover.
“Anything that could wrong, it went go wrong. We just battled through it. It was a great win,” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon.
“Every moment when we had to be tough, we stepped up and were tough. Tiger pride means something.”
Ironton (11-5, 6-3) used the scoring of Reid Carrico to jump in front 15-4 at the 2:13 mark of the first first quarter.
Gallipolis then went on an 11-0 run that spilled over into the second quarter as Logan Blouir 17-footer tied the game with 4:35 on the clock.
The Blue Devils went up 28-25 on a layup by Ben Cox but Carrico’s layup made it 28-27 at the break.
Ironton came out firing in the third quarter and took a 36-28 lead as Carrico made two layups and Grizzle had a layup off a pass from Wilson and then hit a trifecta.
Gallipolis got within 40-35 when Largie drained a 3-pointer. Henry’s short jumper to end the quarter cut Ironton’s lead to 43-37.
The Fighting Tigers scored just four points in the fourth quarter on 2-for-7 shooting and five turnovers. The Blue Devils went up 47-45 on a 3-pointer by Justin McClelland before Large tied the game.
The Blue Devils then missed two foul shots with eight seconds left in regulation.
IN overtime, Gallipolis led 51-49 but missed two foul shots and Large hit his clutch 18-footer to send the game into a second extra period.
Ironton was 10-of-16 from the foul line in the second overtime as Gallipolis was only 1-of-8 from the field.
Large led Ironton with 19 points — all in the second half — and had seven rebounds. Carrico had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Wilson added 11 points and seven rebounds. Trent Milleson also had seven rebounds.
McClelland scored 21 points for Gallipolis. Henry added 11 and Blouir 10.
On Tuesday, Ironton visits Rock Hill and Gallipolis hosts Coal Grove.
Ironton 15 12 16 4 4 12 = 63
Gallipolis 7 21 9 10 4 4 = 55
IRONTON (11-5, 6-3): Ethan Wilson 2 0 7-11 11, Jordan Grizzle 1 2 0-0 8, Reid Carrico 8 0 2-3 18, Charlie Large 4 1 8-12 19, Ayden Barnes 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Milleson 0 0 3-3 3, Hunter Humphreys 0 0 0-0 0, Trent Hacker 0 0 0-0 0, Collin Freeman 0 1 0-0 3, Erickson Barnes 0 0 1-2 1. Totals: 19-42 21-31 63. 3-pt goals: 4-9. Rebounds: 10-O, 26-D = 36 (Carrico 10, Wilson 7, Milleson 7, Large 7). Team/deadball rebounds: 1. Assists: 13 (Wilson 8, Carrico 2, Large 2). Steals: 3. Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 24. Fouled out: Grizzle ((4th 0:21).
GALLIPOLIS (8-5, 6-3): Caleb Henry 5 0 1-5 11, Justin McClelland 0 4 9-11 21, Blaine Carter 1 0 0-02 2, Logan Blouir 2 1 3-4 10, Cory Call 0 0 0-0 0, Caleb Davis 2 0 1-2 5, Ben Cox 1 0 0-0 2, Bailey Walker 2 0 0-0 4. Totals: 18-54 14-24 55. 3-pt goals: 5-22. Rebounds: 5-O, 17-D = 20 (Blouir 5, Walker 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 3. Assists: 10 (Blouir 4, McClelland 4). Steals: 10 (Henry 3, McClelland 2, Davis 2). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 26. Fouled out: Blouir (2OT 0:30), Call (2OT 0:07).