Tyler Harris, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth continues to roll.
The Trojans remained unbeaten, and barely touched, on Thursday, improving to 4-0 with a lopsided win over Ashland Blazer.
Just like every game so far this season, Portsmouth used suffocating defense to create easy offense, en route to a 58-29 win.
CREDIT: Baylee Harris/SOSA
Led by Keke Woods on the defensive end, the Trojans jumped out to an early 7-2 lead and forced an early Ashland timeout.
While many fans expected adjustments to be made to turn the tide, it was actually the Trojans who made the following changes: turn up the heat — even more — defensively and leave Ashland in their rearview mirror.
“I think it really has to do with who our girls are,” Portsmouth coach Amy Hughes said of her team’s defensive intensity. “We rely on that end to help us get going and these girls are extremely tough and aggressive. So they want to play that way every night, which makes us really hard to beat.”
As the first quarter came to a close, the Trojans held a moderate 13-5 lead — the smallest margin the game saw the rest of the way.
Portsmouth took off in the second, ripping off an 18-3 run, led by Daysha Reid, who had outscored the Kittens on her own a halftime by a 13-10 tally. With 23 points combined from Woods and Reid, Portsmouth carried a cushy 33-10 lead into the locker room and never looked back.
And, with 15 steals already, and an opponent who couldn’t buy a basket, Portsmouth shifted into cruise control the rest of the way..
The second half was the Bry Shannon show as she put the home crowd on notice. She exploded for 17 second half points, including three 3-pointers, and had all seven fourth quarter points for the Trojans. When the 3-ball started dropping, she found some room off the bounce, creating easy buckets in the paint.
“She can play,” Hughes said of Shannon. “This will be a really good game for her to see for herself what she can do and what we all believe she’s capable of.”
When the final buzzer sounded, the Trojans had seven players in the scoring column, had created 26 Ashland turnovers and tallied 19 steals.
Statistically, Shannon led all scorers with 17 points while Reid added 15 of her own. Woods finished with 10 points, and Sienna Allen chipped in with eight points and six rebounds.
The Trojans are back in action on Saturday, facing Shaker Heights Laurel at Westerville South’s Thrill in the Ville. Tip is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
BOX SCORE
Portsmouth: 13-18-18-7 — 58
Ashland: 5-5-10-9 — 29
Portsmouth: 23-61 FG, 6-9 FT, 4-22 3pt., 30 rebounds (Cantrell 8, Allen 6, Carter 6, Shannon 6), 13 turnovers, 9 assists (Mays 4). Scoring: Shannon 17, Reid 15, Woods 10, Allen 8, Carter 4, Salem Allen 2, Mays 2.
Ashland: 12-27 FG, 2-7 FT, 2-5 3pt., 18 rebounds (Duckwyler 4, Delaney 4), 3 assists. Scoring: Wolfe 8, Neese 7, Delaney 4, Duckwyler 2, Gulley 2, Troxler 2, Scites 2, Rogers 2.
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