Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
LOGAN — All season long, Portsmouth knew it had something special. It was simply a matter of how special, exactly.
After winning a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title, a sectional crown and their first district championship in 40 years, the Trojans will now add more hardware to their trophy case after finding out just how special they are.
Showing heart, grit and the ability to play an ugly game and win, Portsmouth (22-5) knocked off North Adams by a 42-25 final on Saturday, claiming the program’s first-ever regional championship and punching their ticket to Dayton’s Final 4.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“I don’t know if I have the words,” Portsmouth coach Amy Hughes said. “These girls just play so hard and with so much heart. That’s really all I can say.”
The Trojans attacked inside early, while the Green Devils (21-6) took the outside approach.
Kenlie Jones and Harlee Brand each connected from deep for NA, but Sienna Allen, Daysha Reid, Haven Carter and Keke Woods all scored in the paint for Portsmouth, pacing the team to an 8-7 lead.
Allen and Woods then each scored again for the Trojans, putting them ahead 12-7 after the first eight minutes.
In the second, credit to the Devils’ defensive game plan, turnovers began to pile up for Portsmouth. But the Trojans’ defense was also up to the task, getting stops on the other end to offset their mistakes.
“I don’t know that we adjusted to [North Adams]. They had to adjust to us,” Hughes said. “The goal was to just absolutely go after them. I think we did that. It showed.”
Reid buried a triple before Woods and Carter scored under the basket, helping the Trojans win the quarter by a 9-4 margin to control a 21-11 lead at halftime.
Both offenses stalled in the third as the physicality began to ramp up.
Carter had the only bucket for a four-minute stretch before Reid later splashed another 3, extending the leading to 28-14. From that point on, the Trojans were not going to be denied.
They did what they had to do late, continued to sit down on defense and stifle NA’s offensive sets and, eventually, celebrated their first-ever Final 4 berth with a sea of red and blue behind them.
Statistically, Allen finished as the only Trojan in double-digit scoring figures with 15 points alongside five rebounds. Carter finished with nine points and eight boards.
For North Adams, Boerger had 10 points and six rebounds.
“I do want to just thank my dad [Mike],” Hughes said. “He’s the mastermind behind all of this. Scouting, player development, scheduling, our practices … he’s taught me everything I know and he’s taught these girls so much. He’s the reason we’re going to the Final 4. I, honest to God, believe that.”
As North Adams’ season comes to a close, Portsmouth advances to a Division III state semifinal at 8 p.m., Thursday at the University of Dayton Arena.
The Trojans will match up against Ottawa-Glandorf, who defeated Castalina Margretta to advance.
“I think you can see tonight what this means to this community,” Hughes said. “When times got a little tough, our crowd responded. They helped us respond. I don’t know how else to say it, but they just really love us. It’s amazing how we’ve energized this town. It’s just one big family. It really is.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
SPONSORED BY GLOCKNER FAMILY OF DEALERSHIPS
