Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — It took a triple to get doubles to get a single.
No, we’re not talking about baseball. The Coal Grove Hornets had three players in double figures as they got a single win to start the Division 3 sectional tournament as they beat the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs 66-58 on Monday.
Braxton Hornets hit three 3-pointers and scored 15 points to lead a balanced offense. Perry Kingery had a solid game with 14 points and Tait Matney returned after missing the last three games to score 11 points including some clutch free throws on the fourth quarter.
Ian Waits scored a game-high 26 points for the Mustangs (5-16). Brady Chisman had 12 points.
Harren Hicks had half of his 8 points in the first quarter with Hunter Staton and Horn hitting 3-pointers as Coal Grove took a 16-12 lead.
The Hornets extended the lead to 33-24 at the half as Kingery scored 6 points while Malachi Wheeler and Horn added 3-pointers. Waits hit a triple and had 5 points for the Mustangs.
Horn hit his third trey and scored 7 points in the third quarter with Kingery getting 4 points and Matney hitting a trifecta to make it 47-36.
Chisman hit a 3-pointers and scored 7 points for Lynchburg-Clay.
Waits took over and hit two 3-pointers, went 6-for-6 at the foul line and scored 18 of the Mustangs’ 22 points in the fourth quarter comeback attempt.
But the Hornets were up to the challenge as they converted 9-of-14 from the foul line with Matney going 6-for-8 at the stripe.
Coal Grove (8-9) will now play at South Point Friday in the sectional finals at 7 p.m.
Lynchburg 12 12 12 22 = 58
Coal Grove 16 17 14 19 = 66
LYNCHBURG-CLAY (5-16): Ian Waits 5 3 7-7 26, Noah Miller 1 00-0 2, Logan Shope 3 0 2-2 8, Bryce Binkley 2 1 1-1 8, Brady Chisman 3 2 0-0 12, Kyle Bennington 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 15 6 10-10 58. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Shope.
COAL GROVE (8-9): Steven Easterling 0 0 0-0 0, Malachi Wheeler 1 1 0-0 5, Landon Davis 0 0 0-0 0, Jarren Hicks 4 0 0-2 8, Trevor Hankins 2 0 1-4 5, Tait Matney 1 1 6-8 11, Hunter Staton 1 2 0-0 8, Elijah Dillon 0 0 0-0 0, Braxton Horn 3 3 0-0 15, Perry Kingery 6 0 2-2 14. Totals: 18 7 9-15 66. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.