Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

WEST PORTSMOUTH — When the St. Joseph Female Flyers were faced with adversity, they didn’t blink.

An injury and some foul trouble left the Female Flyers in a tough situation late in their game against the Portsmouth West Lady Senators Monday.

But the Female Flyers were able to answer the challenge as they held on for a 52-49 win over West.

Lynsey Booker left in the second quarter when her eye was swollen shut. Center Bri Bridges played less than half the game due to foul trouble, and point guard and leading scorer Hannah Miller went to the bench in the fourth quarter with her fourth foul.

“To go on the road and play under the circumstances we faced was a tribute to the girls and a nice win,” said St. Joseph coach Nick Miller.

“The other girls were forced to step up and they kept us in the game until we could get Hannah and Bri back in the game.”

St. Joseph led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter and 42-32 at the end of the quarter.

But with Miller and Bridges on the bench, West whittled the lead down to one point.

Miller returned and scored 6 points including 4-of-5 from the foul line to help keep the lead.

But she wasn’t the only one. Molly Miller hit a key basket off a pass from Haley Bartram the put the Female Flyers up four. Katie Roach sank a free throw with five seconds to play that gave St. Joseph a three-point advantage.

Hannah Miller scored 9 points in the first quarter as St. Joseph went up 15-11.

She had 7 more points in the second quarter and Amber Neal scored 5 more as the Female Flyers led 29-24 at the half.

Neal scored 8 points in the third quarter including a pair of 3-pointers for St. Joseph.

Miller led St. Joseph with 27 points. Neal had 13 points.

Taylor Conley scored 15 points for West.

St. Joseph 15 14 13 10 = 52

Ports. West 11 13 8 17 = 49

ST. JOSEPH (7-1): Katie Roach 0 0 1-2 1, Amber Neal 3 2 1-2 13, Rachel Martin 0 0 0-1 0, Hannah Miller 6 2 9-11 27, Haley Bartram 1 0 2-5 4, Bri Bridges 1 0 0-0 2, Molly Miller 1 0 0-0 2, Lynsey Booker 0 0 3-4 3. Totals: 12 4 16-25 52. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: Bridges.

PORTSMOUTH WEST (1-6): Cammie Oiler 3 1 0-0 9, Kaleigh Coleman 1 1 0-0 5, Taylor Conley 6 0 3-7 15, McKenzie Whittaker 2 2 0-0 10, Haleigh Throckmorton 0 1 0-0 3, Terra Butcher 0 0 0-0 0, Alex Ridout 2 0 2-4 6, Bobbie Jo Howard 0 0 1-2 1. Totals: 14 5 6-13 49. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: Coleman, Ridout.