Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — Dialing long-distance proved to be the right connection for the Portsmouth Trojans.

Portsmouth hit 14 3-point goals as they held off the Coal Grove Hornets 67-60 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Brandon Adkins had a big performance for the Hornets (0-2, 0-2) with a game-high 23 points. Joe Akers and Travis Carey added 9 points each.

Kendall Reynolds scored 19 points including five 3-pointers to lead the Trojans (3-0, 1-0). Ky’re Allison had 18 points with four 3-pointers and Sky Oliver scored 17 points and he had two 3-pointers.

Reynolds hit three triples and Oliver scored 7 points in the first quarter as Portsmouth took a 22-10 lead.

But Adkins scored 10 points, Carey came off the bench to score 8 points and Jonathan Joseph and Sean Paulus each hit 3-pointers as Coal Grove rallied in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 40-38 at the half.

Reynolds had 8 more points and two more 3-pointers in the second quarter while Allison scored 7 points.

In the third quarter each team scored 16 points and it was 56-54. Adkins had 7 points and Akers 5 points for the Hornets while Allison had a pair of 3-pointers to spark the Trojans.

The scoring slowed down in the fourth quarter as Portsmouth held a 62-60 lead with four minutes left and finished the game with a 5-0 run.

Oliver scored 6 points for the Trojans to match Coal Grove’s total output in the quarter.

On Tuesday, Coal Grove visits Fairland and Portsmouth hosts South Point in league games.

Portsmouth 22 18 16 11 = 67

Coal Grove 10 28 16 6 = 60

PORTSMOUTH (3-0, 1-0): Sky Oliver 4 2 3-3 17, Ky’re Allision 1 4 4-4 18, Alex Dickerson 1 2 0-0 8, Kendal Reynolds 2 5 0-0 19, Hunter Gibson 0 0 0-2 0, Ethan Leonard 0 0 0-0 0, Luke Purdy 1 1 0-0 5, Trent Redbell 0 0 0-0 0, Zach Delotell 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 9 14 7-9 67. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Gibson.

COAL GROVE (0-2, 0-2): Sean Paulus 2 1 0-0 7, Isaiah Gunther 1 0 0-0 2, Brandon Adkins 9 0 5-6 23, Joe Akers 3 1 0-0 9, Austen Pleasants 2 0 1-1 5, Travis Careey 3 1 0-0 9, Jonathan Joseph 1 1 0-0 5, Daniel Rutherford 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 4 6-7 67. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.