Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

It seemed like everyone was pulling “double duty” for the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers.

Ironton had four players in double figures as the Lady Fighting Tigers routed the Portsmouth Lady Trojans 73-43 on Monday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“We didn’t play that well in the first half, but we played a lot better in the second half,” said Ironton coach Doug Graham. “We shared the ball well, we were moving the ball and finding the open man.”

Lexie Barrier had 30 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and five steals to lead Ironton (10-2, 7-0).

Lexi Wise had a big all-around game with a double-double as she score 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to go with two blocked shots. Sydney Webb added 11 points — all in the first half — and had eight steals while Jordan Hannan scored 10 points.

Peighton Williams scored 24 points and had nine rebounds for Portsmouth.

Ironton opened the game by hitting five 3-pointers in the first quarter. Webb and Barrier hit back-to-back triples and after a layup by Williams, Barrier hit yet another.

Webb drained her third trifecta of the quarter with 12 seconds on the clock and Ironton led 21-16.

The Lady Tigers’ defense held Portsmouth to just four points in the second quarter — all free throws — and Wise scored six points as the lead grew to 33-20 at the break.

Hannan buried a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter and Barrier scored 12 points including a layup with 27 seconds on the clock as Ironton opened up a 57-32 lead.

Barrier scored six points and Wise hit a 19-footer as Ironton went up 65-37.

A baseline jumper by Kenzie Ashley put Ironton up 69-39 lead with 2:44 to play and a layup by Wise with 38 seconds left gave the Lady Tigers their biggest lead of the game at 73-41.

Williams scored all 11 of Portsmouth’s points in the fourth quarter.

Ironton hosts Fairland on Thursday in a battle for first place in the OVC.

Portsmouth 16 4 12 11 = 43

Ironton 21 12 24 16 = 73

PORTSMOUTH (NA): Faith Lee 1 0 1-3 3, Sharia Kearns 1 0 0-0 2, Jada Jenkins 3 1 0-1 9, Peighton Williams 7 2 4-8 24, Semajah Parker 1 0 1-3 3, Mya Williams 1 00-0 2. Totals: 17-49 6-13 43. 3-point goals: 3-11. Rebounds: 11-O, 19-D = 30 (P. Williams 9, Jenkins 5, Parker 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 6. Assists: 3. Steals: 6 (Lee 3, Kearns 2). Turnovers: 23. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.

IRONTON (10-2, 7-0): Lexi Wise 5 0 2-2 12, Jordan Hannan 2 2 0-0 10, D’Laynie Keith 1 0 2-2 4, Lexie Barrier 10 2 4-5 30, Sydney Webb 1 3 0-0 11, Zakia Lee 1 00-0 2, Kenzie Ashley 2 0 0-0 4, Kara Spencer 0 0 0-0 0, Kaylin Easterling 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 29-63 8-9 73. 3-point goals: 7-19. Rebounds: 16-O, 28-D = 44 (Wise 11, Barrier 10, Keith 7, Lee 6). Team/deadball rebounds: 3. Assists: 7 (Barrier 4, Wise 2). Steals: 16 (Webb 8, Barrier 5). Blocked shots: 5 (Wise 2, Barrier 2, Ashley 1). Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.