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DAYTON — The effort was there and so was the heart. But sometimes, the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.
Despite a tremendous defensive effort and a second half rejuvenation on the offensive end, Portsmouth saw its most historic season come to an end on Thursday.
After digging an early hole — one they valiantly fought to climb out of — the Trojans (22-6) fell to Ottawa-Glandorf by a 47-40 final in a Division III state semifinal at the University of Dayton Arena.
“Despite a 22-8 foul situation [in favor of Ottawa-Glandorf], my girls battled and battled,” Portsmouth coach Amy Hughes said. “The girls have put in a lot of hard work and the community has really supported them. I think the whole town was here. They girls have earned everything they brought to this community and all the support they’ve received.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Portsmouth got on the board first with two free throws from Sienna Allen just 33 seconds into the action. But Ottawa-Glandorf (26-2) answered on the next possession, taking a 3-2 lead with a deep ball from Kaitlyn Kimmet.
The Titans’ next three points came at the charity stripe as they seized a 6-2 lead with 4:56 left in the first quarter.
Haven Carter silenced the 6-0 run with a jumper before later putting the Trojans back in front at 9-8 with a 3 that came at the 2:10 mark. The quarter’s only other points were two free throws from OG’s Katie Kaufman, putting the Titans up 10-9 after one.
In the second, Alivia Grothause got the scoring started with an old-fashioned three-point play, making it a 13-9 count. Then, with 4:56 to go, Karsyn Erford made it a 7-0 run with a mid-range jumper to make it 15-9.
The run didn’t stop there, though.
Baskets from Myka Aldrich, Kaufman, Madison McKee and Grothause extended the run to a 14-0 burst, putting OG ahead 22-9 with 1:30 left. Finally, Sienna Allen was able to get a bucket to fall, breaking the streak, before Daysha Reid’s late bucket made it a 22-13 halftime score.
“We were not allowed to move. We were not allowed to play defense,” Hughes said. “The fouls were 22-8.”
While the Trojans had waded in deep water, the ship wasn’t sinking.
Scoring came at a premium in the third. Carlie Brinkman put the Titans ahead 24-13 before Allen answered on the other end. That back and forth continued until OG pushed its lead into double digits at 29-17 with a bucket and one of two freebies from Kaufman, which stood at the beginning of the fourth.
Portsmouth’s Savannah Cantrell began the final eight minutes with a bang, hitting a 3, but the Titans answered with back-to-back buckets from Kimmet and Brinkman, making it 33-20.
Reid scored on the other end before grabbing a rebound and dishing to Carter, who followed in Cantrell’s footsteps, draining a triple to cut OG’s lead to 33-25. When Keke Woods got a rebound and hit a put back, the Trojans trailed by just six with 4:55 to play.
Woods then hit two free throws to bring the deficit to six at 33-27, capping a 7-0 run.
But that was the last gasp of air Portsmouth had. The Titans ripped off five straight points to go ahead 42-34 before holding off the Trojans’ comeback attempt and sealing a seven-point win.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Statistically, Allen led the Trojans with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. Reid followed with 10 points and eight boards, and Carter finished with eight points.
Grothause paced the Titans with 10 points, Kaufman had 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Erford added eight points, five boards and three helpers.
On the glass, Ottawa-Glandorf out-rebounded Portsmouth by a 39-23 margin.
“I think we could’ve done better on rebounding,” junior Daysha Reid said. “We could’ve done a little more. But if things were different and we could’ve went up for a rebound without getting called for something, something good could’ve happened. Our best rebounder had four fouls in the first half. That showed.”
The Trojans will now bid adieu to just one senior in Emily Cheatham.
The goal? That’s obvious … return to Dayton.
“We worked really hard and we made it really far,” sophomore Sienna Allen said. “I think next year, we can make it even further if we just keep working.”
“We just need to keep going,” Reid said. “Just get ready for next year. We’ve already experienced this now. So that might be better for next year.”
BOX SCORE
Portsmouth: 9-4-4-23 — 40
Ottawa-Glandorf: 10-12-7-18 — 47
Portsmouth: 15-48 FG, 4-4 FT, 6-22 3pt., 23 rebounds (Reid 8), 11 turnovers, 5 assists (Allen 3). Scoring: Allen 12, Reid 10, Carter 8, Cantrell 6, Woods 4.
Ottawa-Glandorf: 17-44 FG, 1-6 FT, 12-19 3pt., 39 rebounds (Kaufman 14), 12 turnovers, 13 assists (Erford 4). Scoring: Grothause 10, Kaufman 10, Brinkman 9, Erford 8, Kimmet 7.
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