Portsmouth keeps lead for 3 quarters; tops Whiteoak
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
MOWRYSTOWN — For the first half, the Whiteoak Wildcats hung strong with the visiting Portsmouth Trojans. Then came the third, where the visitors built a double-figure lead and proceed to control the pace for the remainder of the non-league contest, defeating the Wildcats, 63-54 Tuesday.
After a first quarter where the game was tied five times, the Wildcats never led after the quarter was completed as Portsmouth (6-8) led 27-21 at the half and 48-36 at the completion of the third quarter.
WHS outscored the Trojans, 18-15 in the fourth. The loss sends WHS to 7-6 overall. In league games this season, the Wildcats are 4-2 in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference. The loss is the Wildcats' second straight loss.
Last season, Portsmouth were state runners-up with some of the players from that team on the team this season.
The closest quarter was the opening frame in which each team totaled 12 points. Tyler Williams was first to score in the game, as the Wildcat junior scored on a put-back bucket for the 2-0 lead. It would be the first of four times WHS would lead in the game, but their lead never got over four points in the frame.
Of the 12 WHS points in the first, senior Doc Seip scored eight, finishing the game with a team-high 19 points. Luke Taggert was the third Wildcat to score in the first, as he was second in scoring for WHS with 15 points.
"I thought we played well," WHS head coach Thomas Wessner said. "They attacked the open spots, and we adjusted, but I needed to adjust quicker, but we just didn't.
"In the first half, I knew we needed to stop their best player (Carter). In the second half, we lost him and folded him quite a bit, but he made the free throws. Playing a team like Portsmouth does nothing but help us. They are a solid team, and they play a strong schedule."
The Trojans were led in not only the first frame by Jayllen Carter with three points, but he finished the game with a dominating effort on both sides of the court, as he collected rebounds and had a couple of blocked shots. Carter led all scorers with a game-high 25 points, finishing 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. In the fourth quarter alone, he was 7-of-8 at the charity stripe.
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Carter also sank two 3-pointers, with one in the second, which put PHS ahead 21-16 with 3:26 left in the first half, and one in the third with 3:29 on the clock that gave the Trojans a 38-27 advantage.
Sky Oliver followed Carter with 11 points, as he sank three total 3-pointers, all in the second half. Alex Dickerson was also in double figures for the visitors with 10 points, scoring all his points in the first three quarters.
At the start of the second frame, the Trojans took an 18-12 advantage with 3-pointers from Oliver and Conner Lasswell, leaving 5:59 left in the opening half. Lasswell ended with six points, making his second trey in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats cut the PHS lead with points by Brent Davis and Blake Trueblood, but Carter was there with a 3-pointer to put the Trojans back up five points. Williams was there to equal the feat with a 3-pointer for WHS.
Portsmouth ended the second with a 7-2 run.
The Trojans took a 10-point lead with 5:51 left in the third at 33-23 with a jumper from Alex Dickerson, but the lead was cut by five points with Gage Carraher sinking a jump shot and Taggert drilling a 3-pointer with 4:36 left in the quarter.
Again, the Trojans answered, this time with an 8-1 run as Carter scored five points and Oliver added a 3-pointer. The Trojans ended the third with another 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the third for a 12-point lead.
Scoring in the fourth for WHS were Trueblood, Seip, Williams and Taggert. For PHS, scoring in the fourth were Ky're Allison, Lasswell and Carter.
In JV play, Portsmouth defeated WHS, 53-39. Leading PHS were Grant Underwood with 12 points and Ethan Leonard with 11. For WHS, leading them in the JV game was Jason Jones with 19.
WHS will play again on Friday night as they travel for a SHAC meeting with Ripley.
After a first quarter where the game was tied five times, the Wildcats never led after the quarter was completed as Portsmouth (6-8) led 27-21 at the half and 48-36 at the completion of the third quarter.
WHS outscored the Trojans, 18-15 in the fourth. The loss sends WHS to 7-6 overall. In league games this season, the Wildcats are 4-2 in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference. The loss is the Wildcats' second straight loss.
Last season, Portsmouth were state runners-up with some of the players from that team on the team this season.
The closest quarter was the opening frame in which each team totaled 12 points. Tyler Williams was first to score in the game, as the Wildcat junior scored on a put-back bucket for the 2-0 lead. It would be the first of four times WHS would lead in the game, but their lead never got over four points in the frame.
Of the 12 WHS points in the first, senior Doc Seip scored eight, finishing the game with a team-high 19 points. Luke Taggert was the third Wildcat to score in the first, as he was second in scoring for WHS with 15 points.
"I thought we played well," WHS head coach Thomas Wessner said. "They attacked the open spots, and we adjusted, but I needed to adjust quicker, but we just didn't.
"In the first half, I knew we needed to stop their best player (Carter). In the second half, we lost him and folded him quite a bit, but he made the free throws. Playing a team like Portsmouth does nothing but help us. They are a solid team, and they play a strong schedule."
The Trojans were led in not only the first frame by Jayllen Carter with three points, but he finished the game with a dominating effort on both sides of the court, as he collected rebounds and had a couple of blocked shots. Carter led all scorers with a game-high 25 points, finishing 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. In the fourth quarter alone, he was 7-of-8 at the charity stripe.
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Carter also sank two 3-pointers, with one in the second, which put PHS ahead 21-16 with 3:26 left in the first half, and one in the third with 3:29 on the clock that gave the Trojans a 38-27 advantage.
Sky Oliver followed Carter with 11 points, as he sank three total 3-pointers, all in the second half. Alex Dickerson was also in double figures for the visitors with 10 points, scoring all his points in the first three quarters.
At the start of the second frame, the Trojans took an 18-12 advantage with 3-pointers from Oliver and Conner Lasswell, leaving 5:59 left in the opening half. Lasswell ended with six points, making his second trey in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats cut the PHS lead with points by Brent Davis and Blake Trueblood, but Carter was there with a 3-pointer to put the Trojans back up five points. Williams was there to equal the feat with a 3-pointer for WHS.
Portsmouth ended the second with a 7-2 run.
The Trojans took a 10-point lead with 5:51 left in the third at 33-23 with a jumper from Alex Dickerson, but the lead was cut by five points with Gage Carraher sinking a jump shot and Taggert drilling a 3-pointer with 4:36 left in the quarter.
Again, the Trojans answered, this time with an 8-1 run as Carter scored five points and Oliver added a 3-pointer. The Trojans ended the third with another 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the third for a 12-point lead.
Scoring in the fourth for WHS were Trueblood, Seip, Williams and Taggert. For PHS, scoring in the fourth were Ky're Allison, Lasswell and Carter.
In JV play, Portsmouth defeated WHS, 53-39. Leading PHS were Grant Underwood with 12 points and Ethan Leonard with 11. For WHS, leading them in the JV game was Jason Jones with 19.
WHS will play again on Friday night as they travel for a SHAC meeting with Ripley.