Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
FAIRBORN — It almost wasn’t meant to be.
Portsmouth found itself trailing by four with less than three minutes to go in Friday’s Division V state semifinal.
Creston Norwayne had just polished off a 9-0 run to take its first lead of the night and had the Trojans on the ropes.
But, the defending state champions buckled in, showed their championship pedigree and finished the game on an 8-1 run to edge the Bobcats by a 40-37 final — cementing their place in the program’s second consecutive state title game.
“Our defense gets the job done for us in the end. There’s a lot of things we can be better at tomorrow, but I’m proud of this team,” Portsmouth coach Amy Hughes said. “This girls have a lot of guts, and to be ahead all game, then be down in the final three minutes and find a way to win is beyond amazing.”
Keke Woods took matters into her own hands to open the game, scoring seven of Portsmouth’s first nine points. Sienna Allen then followed with a rebound and put back, putting Portsmouth ahead 11-7 after the first.
Bri Shannon opened the second with a triple, followed by a tough inside bucket from Hayven Carter to make it 16-11.
Allen then knocked down four free throws, extending the lead to nine points before Norwayne’s Courtney Cline scored to cut the deficit to 20-13 at halftime.
Allen was just getting started, though.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
She opened the third with back-to-back 3’s on top of a rebound and put back score, scoring her eighth straight point, before dishing out an assist to Shannon to extend the lead to 30-22.
“Shooters shoot, and if you’re not on, then keep shooting until you are,” Allen said. “It came down to the fact that I wanted to win. I had to stay out of my head if I missed a shot and just keep pushing until the end.”
Norwayne’s Ava Maibach answered with a triple and Allie Demassimo knocked down a pair of free throws, trimming Portsmouth’s advantage to 32-27 heading to the final eight minutes.
Demassimo’s two freebies were the only points for three minutes of game time, and then the Bobcats took off.
Maibach and Froelich each scored to complete a 9-0 run, giving Norwayne its first lead of the game at 36-32.
“Having played them in the state championship last year, they knew how we played and how to attack,” Carter said. “We didn’t rebound the ball very well and give up some extra chances, but we just had to push through.”
But Allen responded with a bucket, followed by one from Woods to tie the game. Maibach then split a pair at the line, but Allen answered again with a bucket to go back ahead 38-37 — and the Trojans would never trail again.
Allen later buried a pair of free throws and Norwayne had a chance to tie. But the Bobcats stepped out of bounds with 1.2 seconds and that sealed the deal.
“Even in that scoring drought, we knew not to panic and just continue working as a team,” Woods said. “We’re not a team that ever gives up and we knew that we were going to pull it out in the end. I had four fouls, so I was definitely a little down on myself, but I had to keep my head in the game. We have a state title to defend, so we knew we had the game even being down four points.”
Statistically, Allen finished with 20 points and six rebounds for Portsmouth, while Woods added nine points and five rebounds.
Portsmouth returns to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Division V State Championship against Ottawa-Glandorf, who defeated Fairland to advance.
That game will happen at the University of Dayton Arena.
“We have to be able to play smart if we get into foul trouble since Ottawa is a really physical team,” Allen said. “It comes down to us playing our game and not letting them speed us up. They beat us two years in the Final Four, and we want to repeat as state champions, so we’ll be focused and ready.”
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