Williams sparks Ironton past Hornets' upset bid

COAL GROVE — The Ironton Fighting Tigers were sputtering and going nowhere. Enter their own Energizer Bunny: Zayne Williams.

The Ironton 5-foot-9 senior forward provided the needed energy to jump start the Fighting Tigers as they came to life in the fourth quarter to beat the upset-minded Coal Grove Hornets 51-34 in an Ohio Valley Conference game Saturday afternoon.

The OVC co-leaders were tied with the Hornets after three quarters when Williams put a charge in his teammates.

“When we got in the locker room I said that’s the best game I’ve ever seen him have,” said Ironton coach Drew Stevens.

“He brought the energy before the fourth. Zayne was an absolute beast. He knows his role. He shoots when he’s around the basket. He got some crucial steals down the stretch.”

Ironton survived to improve its record to 17-2 overall and remain tied with Chesapeake for first place in the OVC at 12-1. Coal Grove fell to 5-16 and 1-13.

The Hornets used a 2-3 zone defense and patient offense to go up 10-4 early on a putback by Bronson Guy and a short jumper by Braydon Klaiber.

Ashton Layne followed up a missed shot for Ironton but Klaiber’s layup put the Hornets up 12-6 at the end of the quarter.

Ironton went on a 7-0 run to start the second quarter capped by Layne who followed up his own shot to make it 13-12 with 4:48 left in the half.

Klaiber’s free throw tied the game but Ironton’s Brycen Mullins 3- pointer made it 16-13.

A layup by Klaiber and two free throws by Rylan Smith gave the Hornets 17-16 lead, Mullins sank two foul shots with 13 seconds left and Ironton was up 18-17 at the break.

The game was tied five times in the third quarter including 29-all to end the quarter when Ayden Hankins sank a foul shot with 22 seconds on the clock.

The game was 31-31 when Maddix Markel converted a 3-point play to make it 34-31. Layne’s layup put the lead at 36-31.

Williams’ layup made it 38-33 and he sank three foul shots down the stretch to open up a 47-34 lead with 1:50 to play.

“(Coach) Tobey Schreck told me on the bench when (Williams) got fouled the second time I said do we get someone else in for him and he said I told you to go to the diamond press — that was his suggestion and it went great — and he said Zayne’s going to go two for two,” said Stevens.

Layne led Ironton with 16 points. Markel scored 15 and Williams had a season-high 12.

Klaiber led Coal Grove with 11.

Ironton faces Chesapeake on Tuesday to determine the outright league champion before heading into tournament play.

“I told the guys this is a make or break game for us. There’s.a good chance we’ll see (Coal Grove) in the tournament. They always play us tough here,” said Stevens.

Ironton 6 12 11 22 = 51

Coal Grove 12 5 12 5 = 34

IRONTON (17-2, 12-1): Wyatt Wolfe 0 0 0-0 0, Maddix Markel 4 1 4-5 15, Ashton Layne 7 0 2-3 16, Brycen Mullins 0 1 3-4 6, Carson Freeman 0 0 2-2 2, Kayden Edwards 0 0 0-0 0, Stephen Ison 0 0 0-0 0, Zayne Williams 4 0 4-6 12. Totals: 15 2 15-20 51. Fouls 15. Fouled out: None.

COAL GROVE (5-16, 1-13): Bronson Guy 1 0 0-0 2, Peyton Bryant 0 0 2-2 2, Rylan Smith 3 3-4 9, Braydon Klaiber 5 0 1-2 11, Braden Schug 0 0 0-0 0, James Dome 0 0 0-0 0, Caden Turner 1 0 1-1 4, Ayden Hankins 3 0 1-2 7. Totals: 13 0 8-14 34. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: Guy, Klaiber, Hankins.