Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

CHESAPEAKE ­— The key to winning close games is to make your foul shots.

In a display of clutch foul shooting, the Chesapeake Lady Panthers held off the Portsmouth Lady Trojans 39-33 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Thursday.

Portsmouth (2-2, 1-1) cut the Chesapeake lead to 34-31 with 1:12 to play on a basket by Amya Carr who led the Lady Trojans with a game-high 18 points.

But the Lady Panthers (1-1, 1-1) made 5-of-6 free throws over the final minute to seal the win.

The Lady Panthers did not have a field goal in the fourth quarter but were clutch at the foul line as they converted 7-of-8 free throws. Kate Ball was 3-of-4 while Erin Hicks and Kandace Pauley each went 2-for-2.

Chesapeake employed a box-and-one defense to shut down Lady Trojans leading scorer Daysha Reid to just one basket.

Carr had 5 points and Emily Cheatham 4 points to account for the Portsmouth scoring.

The lead went to 22-15 at the half as Hicks hit a pair of pointers and Ball added a trey.

The Lady Panthers extended the lead to 32-23 at the end of the third quarter thanks to 3-pointers by McComas and Hicks.

Hicks led Chesapeake with 11 points including three 3-pointers. McComas also had thre 3-pointers.

Carr scored 6 of Portsmouth’s 8 points in the third quarter.

Nia Trinidad hit a 3-pointer and Carr added 5 points to the final quarter as Portsmouth mounted its comeback before the Lady Pointers sank their free throws.

On Monday, Chesapeake visits Ironton and Portsmouth goes to Fairland.

Portsmouth      9          6          8          10        =          33

Chesapeake     11        11        10        7          =          39

PORTSMOUTH (2-2, 1-1: Emil Cheatham 3 0 0-4 6, Nia Trinidad 1 1 0-0 5, Daysha Reid 1 0 0-0 2, Ayonna Carr 1 0 0-0 2, Syd Meadows 0 0 0-0 0, McKeynna Jarvis 0 0 0-0 0, Amya Carr 8 0 1-6 18. Totals: 14 1 2-10 33. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Cheatham.

CHESAPEAKE (1-1, 1-1): Kandace Paul 3 0 2-2 8, Robin Isaacs 0 0 1-2 1, Emily Duncan 2 0 0-0 4, Hannah Webb 0 0 0-2 0, Brooklyn McComas 0 3 0-0 9, Kate Ball 0 1 3-4 6, Erin Hicks 0 3 2-2 11. Totals: 5 7 8-12 39. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.