By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — The Chesapeake Panthers are keeping in step.

In a pivotal Ohio Valley Conference game, the Panthers kept in step with first place South Point by edging past the Fairland Dragons 69-65 on Tuesday.

Chesapeake is now 13-5 overall and 9-3 in the OVC, one-half game behind South Point.

The loss dropped Fairland to 11-6 on the season and 7-4 in the league.

In a wild scoring first quarter, the Panthers took a 28-20 lead as Dannie Maynard scored 13 of his 14 points including a pair of 3-pointers.

Kaden Perkins, Philip Thacker and Maddox Kazee all scored 5 points for the Panthers with Perkins and Thacker each hitting a 3-pointer.

Brody Buchanan — who scored a career-high 34 points — drained three 3-pointers and scored 15 points and Chase Allen had a 3-pointer.

Chesapeake opened up a 45-33 halftime lead as Thacker scored 8 points as he drilled a pair of 3-pointers and Ethan Kerns added 5 points including a trey.

Allen hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points and Noah Marcum hit a 3-pointer.

Fairland rallied in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 60-55 as Buchanan scored 14 points that included a pair of 3-pointers. Allen added a 3-pointer as he scored 6 points.

Thacker scored 6 points and Kazee knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to help the Panthers keep the lead.

The scoring slowed in the fourth quarter and Fairland got within 66-65. But Thacker and Perkins each went 2-for-2 at the foul line to seal the win.

Thacker scored 21 points to lead the Panthers. Kazee had 15 points to go with Maynard’s 14.

Allen scored 19 points as he and Buchanan combined for nine 3-pointers. Fairlnad was 10-of-20 from behind the arc.

Chesapeake    28 17 15 9 = 69

Fairland   20 13 22 10 = 65

CHESAPEAKE (13-5, 9-3): Ethan Kerns 1 1 0-0 5, Drew Plantz 0 0 0-0 0, Caleb Cox 0 0 0-0 0, Kaden Perkins 2 1 2-2 9, Dannie Maynard 1 2 6-8 14, Philip Thacker 3 3 6-6 21, Maddox Kazee 4 2 1-1 15, Braxton Oldaker 1 0 1-2 3, Jacob Skeens 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 22-33 16-19 69. 3-pt goals: 9-14. Rebounds: 15 (Kazee 6). Assists: 4 (Maynard 2). Steals: 1 (Oldaker). Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.

FAIRLAND (11-6, 7-4): Will Davis 1 0 0-0 2, Chase Allen 3 4 1-2 19, Brycen Hunt 0 0 0-0 0, Noah Marcum 2 1 1-2 8, Keegan Smith 0 0 0-0 0, Brody Buchanan 6 5 5-7 34. Totals: 23-48 7-11 65. 3-pt goals: 10-20. Rebounds: 17 (Buchanan 5, Marcum 4). Assists: 11 (Smith 4, Davis 3). Steals: 2. Turnovers: 5. Fouls: 27. Fouled out: Buchanan.