By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Huntington Highlanders are on of the top Class 3A teams in West Virginia and they showed the reason why on Saturday.

The Highlanders (16-3) had 3 players in double figures as they beat the Fairland Dragons 75-44 in a non-league game.

Malik McNeely had 17 points, Mikey Johnson 15 points and Jaylen Motley added 10 to pace Huntington.

Fairland (14-8) was led by Brody Buchanan with a game-high 21 points and Chase Allen got 14.

Motley hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 10 points and McNeely scored 6 as Huntington went up 24-10 in the first quarter.

Buchanan scored 6 for Fairland in the quarter.

The Highlanders stretch the lead to 38-21 at the half as Jamari Tubbs scored all 7 of his points including a trey and Johnson hit a 3-pointer and got 5 points.

Buchanan hit a pair of 3-pointers and J.D. Thacker added another trey for the Dragons.

The lead grew to 57-33 in the third quarter as McNeely scored 11 points and Johnson had 8.

Buchanan drained another triple and scored 7 points and Chase Allen was 4-of-4 at the foul line.

Both teams emptied their benches in the fourth quarter.

Avante Crawford hit a 3-pointer and 2 free throws and Taviun Chandler scored 4 points for Huntington.

Allen scored 6 points for the Dragons.

Fairland will host Chillicothe Huntington at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, in the sectional tournament.

Fairland    10 11 12 11 = 44

Huntington 24 14 19 18 = 75

FAIRLAND (14-8): Will Davis 0-5 0-3 0-0 0, Chase Allen 5-6 0-3 4-4 14, Turk Bowel 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Zion Martin 0-3 0-0 0-0 0, J.D. Thacker 1-3 2-2 0-0 8, Steeler Leep 0-0 0-2 1-2 1, Noah Marcum 0-0 0-1 0-0 0, Cliff Fransen 0-0 0-2 0-0 0, Keegan Smith 0-0 0-1 0-0 0, Luke Brown 0-0 0-0 0-1 0, Trevor Lochow 0-0 0-1 0-0 0, Jameson Lauder 0-0 0-1 0-0 0, Brody Buchanan 6-8 3-8 0-0 21, Maddox Gue 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Elijah Knipp. 0-2 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 17-52 5-7 44. 3-pt goals: 5-25. Rebounds: 20 (Thacker 4, Buchanan 3, Leep 3, Davis 3). Assists: 5 (Allen 2). Steals: 3 (Allen 2). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.

HUNTINGTON (16-3): Duane Harris 1-2 0-1 2-2 3, Avonte Crawford 1-2 1-2 2-2 7, Mikey Johnson 6-8 1-4 0-0 15, Jaylen Motley 2-3 2-7 0-0 10, Malik McNeely 8-9 0-2 1-1 17, Taviun Chandler 2-2 0-0 0-0 4, Jamari Tubbs 2-3 1-1 2-2 9, Markell Jones 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, Jace Coats 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Antonio Taylor 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Escobar Jackson 0-0 0-0 0-0 0, Isaiah Lapsley 1-1 0-0 0-0 2, Tayveon Wilson 1-2 0-0 0-0 2, Coleson Christus 0-1 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 31-58 7-9 75. 3-pt goals: 6-21. Rebounds: 31 (McNeely 6, Johnson 5, Crawford 5). Assists: 3. Steals: 6 (Tubbs 2). Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.