Gallia Academy’s Aubrey Unroe is tracked down by Ironton defenders Haylee Stevens (22) and Elli Williams (4) during Thursday night’s Ohio Valley Conference girls basketball game at Gallia Academy High School.
Paul Boggs/OVP Sports
CENTENARY, Ohio — Unfortunately for the Blue Angels, Gallia Academy High School served as a no-passing zone on Thursday night.
As the visiting Ironton Fighting Tigers constantly ran through the Blue Angel passing lanes, and turned turnovers into points, the Fighting Tigers tallied a 72-36 victory over Gallia Academy — in an Ohio Valley Conference girls basketball tilt.
Spearheaded by its swarming full-court pressure defense, and even in its half-court sets, Ironton alertly covered Gallia Academy’s passing angles —collecting several steals and converting them into easy transition buckets.
As a result, the early estimate on the damage done to the Blue Angels was their 24-0 deficit just nine minutes into the game.
As for the late total, the Fighting Tigers’ largest advantage stood at 72-34 with a minute and 34 seconds remaining — on a Haylee Stevens old-fashioned three-point play.
Ironton outscored the Blue Angels 22-0 in the opening quarter, as Gallia Academy amassed 15 second-stanza points to trail 41-15 at halftime.
The Blue Angels then fell 17-10 in the third period, as Ironton’s insurmountable cushion swelled to 62-25 with seven minutes to play.
With the loss, Gallia Academy fell to 6-10 — and 2-7 in the OVC.
Ironton, tied with Fairland (9-1) for the league lead, raised its record to 13-4 — and 9-1 in the conference.
It was all Lady Tigers all the time on Thursday, as their first-half blitzkrieg gave them three 28-point leads (35-7, 37-9 and 39-11) — by the two-minute mark of the second quarter.
The Blue Angels finally scored with 10 minutes and five seconds gone by —when Jenelle Stevens scored inside to make it 24-2.
The closest the Blue and White came from there was at the five-minute mark of the stanza —when Stevens scored again to make it 27-7.
At the 5:48 mark, Adrienne Jenkins drilled a three-pointer for a 26-5 deficit, as she also scored a deuce in the period — along with a two in the third.
Alex Barnes, the Gallia Academy freshman who had five field goals and a free throw, led the Blue Angels with 11 points.
All 11 came in the middle two cantos, as Ironton only outscored the Blue Angels 50-36 over the final three quarters.
Stevens sank a final basket for six points, as Kimberly Edelmann — on a fourth-quarter two and three — added five.
Hunter Copley canned a third-frame three-ball, followed by fourth-quarter buckets by Aubrey Unroe and Abby Cremeans.
The Fighting Tigers, in addition to doubling up GAHS on the scoreboard, did so in total field goals 32-16.
Ironton also made more free throws (six) than the Blue Angels even attempted (five).
Five Fighting Tigers finished in double figures — paced by Alyssa Lewis’ 17 points.
Lewis landed eight total field goals, as freshman Lexie Arden added 15 points — on six field goals and 3-of-6 foul shots.
Lexi Wise, on five baskets and 2-of-5 free throws, chipped in a dozen —as Sydney Webb with 11 and Taiya Hamlet with 10 also netted five hoops.
Lewis and Webb were responsible for a three-point goal apiece.
The Blue Angels return home, and return to OVC action, on Monday night against Coal Grove.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
