LUCASVILLE — Solving the Portsmouth Lady Trojans defense was as easy as one, two, three-pointer.

Coal Grove had little trouble with the Portsmouth defensive game plan as the Lady Hornets hit eight 3-pointers in a 58-42 win over the Lady Trojans Thursday in the Division III sectional tournament semifinals.

Chelsea Markins led Coal Grove with 20 points including 5 of 11 from 3-point range.

“They came out in a triangle and two and it wasn’t real effective. I think Chelsea hit four 3s,” Coal Grove coach Nick Miller said. “In the second half they tightened up the pressure on her. Once we solved it, everyone got some looks and began to knock down the shots.”

Samantha Hall had 15 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots for the Lady Hornets. He presence inside caused Portsmouth a lot of offensive problems.

Also hitting 3-pointers for Coal Grove were Jordyn Cox, Samantha Zornes and Taylor Sexton.

Portsmouth (6-15) struggled from the field and the 3-point line. The Lady Trojans were 17 of 59 from the floor — 28.8 percent — and 4 of 17 from behind the arc.

“We told the girls we weren’t going to come in here and win by 40 or 50. Portsmouth has some nice athletes,” Miller said. “

Coal Grove (17-4) will play Eastern Brown at 6:15 p.m. Saturday in the finals. Eastern Brown (17-4) beat Wellston 61-21 in Thursday’s first game.

Markins hit a pair of treys and Cox another as Coal Grove took an 11-7 first quarter lead.

The Lady Hornets stretched the lead to 27-17 with 1:38 left in the half on a 12-footer by Hall,

Back-to-back baskets by Meghin Colley and Brittany Stanley cut the Coal Grove lead to 27-21 only to have Markins bury a trifecta wit three seconds on the clock and it was 30-21 at the break.

Zornes and Sexton had 3-pointers in the third quarter to put Coal Grove up 40-30. Sydney Jordan’s 3-pointer got Portsmouth within 40-33 heading into the fourth quarter.

Hall followed up a missed shot and Markins hit another 3-pointer to begin the fourth quarter and it was 45-33. A 10-4 run opened up a 5-37 lead with 41 seconds to go.

Jennifer Bendolph scored 17 points and Jordan 13 to lead Portsmouth.

Portsmouth714129=42

Coal Grove11191018=58

PORTSMOUTH (6-15): Brya Coleman 1-15 (1-5) 1-2 4, Sydney Jordan 5-12 (3-8) 0-1 13, Jennifer Bendolph 7-19 (0-1) 3-7 17, Brittany Stanley 1-2 (0-0) 0-0 2, Jennifer Pierce 1-5 (0-2) 0-0 2, Meghin Colley 2-4 (0-1) 0-0 4, Cassie Taylor 0-1 (0-0) 0-0 0, Trista Wilson 0-1 (0-0) 0-0 0, Missy Stelwagon 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Rebekkah Kristian 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Jennifer Cunningham 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0. Totals: 17-59

(4-17)

4-10

42. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 15-19=34 (Coleman 11, Bendolph 10). Team/deadball rebounds: 7. Assists: 4 (Jordan 2). Steals: 2. Turnovers: 15. Blocked shots: 1 (Coleman 1).

COAL GROVE (17-4): Jordyn Cox 2-10 (1-5) 1-2 6, Tracy Tackett 0-3 (0-1) 4-6 4, Maggie Young 0-1 (0-0) 0-0 0, Chelsea Markins 6-12 (5-11) 3-5 20, Samantha Hall 7-19 (0-0) 1-2 15, Brittany Harrison 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Samantha Zornes 1-2 (1-2) 0-0 3, Taylor Sexton 2-4 (1-2) 0-1 5, Caymie Collier 1-1 (0-0) 1-1 3, Ashlee Thacker 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Danielle Carpenter 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Tiffany Wallace 0-0 (0-0) 0-0 0, Abby Nance 0-0 (0-0) 2-2 2. Totals: 19-52

(8-21)

12-19

58. Fouls: 9. Fouled out: None. Rebounds 11-26=37 (Hall 9, Sexton 8). Team/deadball rebounds: 1. Assists: 10 (Markins 4, Tackett 2, Cox 2). Steals: 9 (Tackett 4, Hall 2). Turnovers: 11. Blocked shots: 8 (Hall 7, Tackett 1).