Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WAVERLY — 40 years is a long time. But Portsmouth’s district championship drought has finally came to an end.
After a loss in a district final last season, the Trojans took no prisoners on Saturday, showing a ruthless aggression from the get-go.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Their ability to habitually attack the basket, combined with a defensive effort that forced 24 turnovers, allowed the Trojans to churn out a 54-17 victory over Minford in a Division III district final — the program’s first district crown since 1984.
“The girls played with so much heart and a lot of hustle, determination and grit, which all began with our defense,” Portsmouth coach Amy Hughes said. “It was so phenomenal and fun to watch them play defense and just attack the ball. It was an absolute clinic, and I don’t think there’s another way to put it. All of the little fundamentals were there, and I couldn’t be more proud of this group.”
It was dominance. Utter dominance.
It took less than four minutes to showcase just how dominant the Trojans were destined to be and they never took their foot off the gas.
They forced eight early Falcon turnovers that turned into buckets on the other end for Keke Woods and Sienna Allen, making it 8-0 early.
But that wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg.
“There’s a confidence this team plays with and they believe in one another. It’s really like one big family,” Hughes said. “Each of them knows the amount of work they’ve put into being the team they’ve become and it only makes them want to play better for each other.
Using quick feet and quicker hands in passing lanes, an effort led by Woods, Portsmouth forced five more turnovers which allowed it to extend the lead further.
PHOTOS: Images from Portsmouth’s district final win over Minford
Meanwhile, Daysha Reid joined the fun with multiple buckets to push the lead to 18-0. When she splashed another triple to beat the buzzer, it was 26-3 after one.
From there, the Trojans cruised to the end, punching their regional tournament tickets.
“I’m pretty sure the whole town was here, and we’re fortunate to have such great support from our community and fans who support us,” Hughes said. “We wanted to jump on them early, that was our entire focus and game plan. More than anything, we were ready for this one after losing on this stage last year. We started with energy and ended the same way.”
Allen finished the night with 22 points and four rebounds to lead Portsmouth statistically while Reid added 12 points. Woods chipped in with 10 points and three rebounds.
For Minford, Baylee Hammonds finished with five points.
Portsmouth advances to a Division III regional semifinal at 8 p.m., Wednesday at Logan High School against Portsmouth West, a winner over Federal Hocking in Saturday’s nightcap.
“Rebounding and half-court offense, those are two things we’re definitely going to work on in practice,” Hughes said. “We’ve had running clocks in our last two games since both games were played at such an up-and-down pace, so those two areas will be a huge focus since they’ll be critical at the regional stage.”
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