Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Whether she is coaching at Rock Hill, Ironton, Chillicothe and now Portsmouth, Amy Hughes’s team keep winning at the Ironton Sports Center.
Hughes got another win in the Sports Center on Monday as the Lady Trojans rallied to edge the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers 42-38 in an Ohio Valley Conference game that was the season opener for both teams.
Ironton started out like the game would be a runaway by building a 16-2 quarter lead as Haylee Stevens drained three 3-pointers, Kameren Arden hit another trifecta and Riley Schreck and Samantha LaFon added a basket each.
But just about the time the temperatures started to go cold and the snow began to fall, Ironton’s shooting went cold and the offense began to drop off as the Lady Tigers scored only three points in the second quarter.
Hannah Hughes scored all six of her points including a triple and Jasmine Eley had four points as Portsmouth got within 19-14 at the break.
The Lady Trojans cut the gap to 29-25 in the third quarter as Nia Trinidad scored all eight of her points including two 3-pointers. Stevens and Schreck each hit a trifecta for Ironton.
Ironton kept sending Eley to the foul line in the fourth quarter and she responded by hitting 12-of-13 attempts and scored 16 of the Lady Trojans’ 17 points in the quarter as they rallied for the win.
Ironton was only 3-of-17 from the line in the quarter and just 4-of-21 for the game.
Stevens led Ironton (0-1, 0-1) with 13 points while LaFon added 11.
Eley had a game-high 25 points for Portsmouth (1-0, 1-0).
Ironton visits Fairland on Monday.
Portsmouth 2 12 11 17 = 42
Ironton 16 3 10 9 = 38
PORTSMOUTH (1-0, 1-0): Jasmine Eley 3 1 16-18 25, Nia Trinidad 1 2 0-1 8, Hannah Hughes 1 1 1-2 6, Ashanti Richardson 0 0 0-0 0, Jaiden Rickett 0 0 2-2 2, Aireyana Thurman 0 0 1-2 1. Totals: 5 4 20-25 42. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: Rickett.
IRONTON (0-1, 0-1): Riley Schreck 1 1 0-0 5, Samantha LaFon 4 0 3-13 11, Lydia Hannan 1 0 0-0 2, Elli Williams 1 0 0-2 2, Kameren Arden 0 1 -0 3, Haylee Stevens 0 4 1-2 13, Jada Rogers 0 0 0-4 0, Abbie Patterson 0 0 0-0 0, Sophie Caines 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 8 6 4-21 38. Fouls: 23. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: 1.