Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WAVERLY — If you’ve never seen Will Kegley play, you’re missing something special.
And time is running out, so buy your tickets.
Portsmouth West’s senior do-it-all guard has been magnificent all season long, leading his Senators to their first league championship since before he was born and recording his 1,000th career point.
He continued that trend on Tuesday night and now has his team in a position to win a district title.
Kegley’s 18-point, five-rebound effort led the Senators (17-6) to a 54-39 win over North Adams in a Division VI district semifinal at Waverly’s Downtown Gym.
West is now a win away from capturing the program’s first district championship since 1985 — some 41 years ago.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“I thought our defense helped get our offense rolling,” Kegley said. “We always fall back on our defense and we always know it’s going to be there. Offensively, everybody came out confident. We hit some big shots down the stretch of the game and I thought we played well.”
The Senators forced 14 turnovers while forcing North Adams (13-10) to settle for 28 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.
While the Green Devils did hit seven triples, they still had trouble from inside the paint where West’s length and size was the cause of frustration.
It was a stark difference from West’s mark of 19-of-28 shooting from that range.
“Our defense is what we focus on,” West junior Corbin Miller said. “Everybody plays their part and we’re in the gaps, making sure [other teams] can’t drive. If we just keep on getting in the gaps and doing what we’ve been doing, we’ll be good.”
Senior Cristian Quirasco started the Senators’ scoring before Kegley scored in transition for a 4-0 lead. That advantage quickly swelled to 10-0 after both Miller and Logan McIntire hit triples.
But, give credit where it’s due.North Adams didn’t fold.
Instead, the Green Devils battled back to cut the deficit to 12-11 after a 3-ball from Jesse Kennedy. West answered with buckets from Owen Richards and Kegley, at the 7.2-second mark, to make it a 16-11 tally after one.
Kegley pushed the edge to seven with two free throws to begin the second and scored again for a 20-11 count at the 5:30 mark, continuing to have his will.
“He does everything,” Miller said of Kegley. “He’s not only our main scorer, but he’s very vocal, he plays at the top of our defense, he pressures the ball over to us, he rebounds, he’s just everywhere. He plays such a big role on our team and it’d be hard to be [where they’re at] without him.”
That nine-point lead would stay intact at halftime at 29-18 and the Senators were far from finished.
Kegley began the third with a score before later scoring again at the 3:58 mark for a 37-27 count. Richards then dialed long distance and McIntire got a runner to fall, making it 44-29 heading to the final eight minutes.
That scoring burst to end the fourth all but ended the night. Substitutions were made early and the Senators celebrated an earned trip to Athens.
Statistically, following Kegley’s 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, McIntire had 13 points and three helpers while Miller added nine points to the mix.
North Adams was led by Carson Davis, who totaled 10 points and eight rebounds while Thaddeus Moore added nine points and six boards. Jesse Kennedy also helped out with six points, three rebounds and three assists.
While the Green Devils’ season comes to a close, West advances to a Division VI district championship game at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Ohio University’s Convocation Center.
The Senators will meet with Valley for a third time this season. The two split their season series with West winning on Jan. 2 and Valley avenging that loss on Jan. 23.
Needless to say, Sunday’s contest, with each team’s season on the line, has potential to be an instant classic.
“They should only get one shot attempt every time down the floor,” Miller said. “If we can limit their shots and get better rebounds than what we did at their place, and keep the offense flowing, we should be good.”
“[A district title would mean] everything,” Kegley added. “Our community shows up for us day in and day out. Our team, we give it everything we’ve got, whether it’s an early morning practice or a late night practice. We’re always in the gym. We hang out with each other. We’ve just been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.”
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