Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The game is simple. You either put the ball in the basket or you don’t.
The Ironton Fighting Tigers didn’t. The Portsmouth Trojans did.
Ironton struggled from the field in a 55-46 loss to Portsmouth in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Tuesday.
Ironton (7-5, 3-3) was just 4-of-18 from the field in the first quarter and 3-of-12 in the second quarter for a combined 7-of-30 or a meager 23 percent.
Portsmouth was 11-of-27 from the field in the half for 41 percent including 5-of-14 from behind the arc for 42 percent. Ironton missed all nine of its 3-point attempts.
As a result, Ironton trailed 29-20 at the half.
For the game, Ironton was 17-of-48 for 35 percent and 3-of-15 from the arc for 20 percent.
The Trojans (7-3, 3-2) finished 19-of-45 for 42 percent and 7-of-22 in 3-point attempts for 32 percent.
“We didn’t do a good job of executing on offense and defensively we didn’t do a good job getting out on the (3-point shot),” said Ironton coach Mark LaFon. “We’re giving up way too many open shots.”
Matt Malone had 14 points for Portsmouth including four 3-point goals. Kendall Reynolds scored 13 points — he was 6-of-10 from the line — and Reese Johnson added 12 points. Reynolds and Johnson had seven rebounds each.
Raphael Glover had 13 for Ironton despite battling the flu. Kyle Adkins added nine points and Joel Blankenship scored eight.
Andrew Scott grabbed seven rebounds, Ryan Bryant six and Ethan Wilson had five rebounds and two blocked shots.
Portsmouth held a 31-27 rebounding advantage.
“They hurt us on the offensive boards. They were just the aggressor and we weren’t. They did a good job of running their offense and getting the shots they wanted,” said LaFon.
A 3-point play by Daniel Jordan gave Portsmouth a 13-7 lead before Scott’s put-back made it 13-9 at the end of the first quarter.
The Trojans went on a 20-3 run to begin the second quarter to lead 23-12 and a 3-pointer by Johnson opened up a 29-18 lead with 1:34 in the half.
Glover’s 15-footer got Ironton within 29-20 at the break.
Portsmouth continued to pull away in the third quarter as Malone hit a pair of 3-pointers and it was 45-24. Another layup by Scott had Ironton down 45-28 at the end of the quarter.
Ironton showed some life in the fourth quarter. Akins hit a trifecta and Wilson made a layup and it was 49-35.
Blankenship knocked down a 3-pointer and was fouled, hit the free throw to complete the 4-piont play and Ironton trailed 53-41.
Adkins buried another triple and it was 53-44. Reynolds hit a foul shot and Adkins answered with an 18-footer to make it 54-46. Reynolds was fouled and hit one of two shots with 10 seconds left to set the final score.
Reynolds was 6-of-8 from the line over the final 1:42 of the game.
On Friday, Ironton hosts Coal Grove and Portsmouth entertains Gallipolis.
Portsmouth    13    16    16    10    =    55
Ironton       9    11    8    18    =    46
PORTSMOUTH (7-3, 3-2): D.J. Eley 2 1 0-0 7, Daniel Jordan 1 0 3-5 5, Matt Malone 1 4 0-0 14, Kendall Reynolds 2 1 6-10 13, Reese Johnson 4 1 1-1 12, Dakota Reynolds 0 0 0-0 0, Gabe Gambill 2 0 0-0 4, Jahmie King 0 0 0-0 0, Ty Oliver 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-45 10-16 55. 3-point goals: 7-22. Rebounds: 12-O, 19-D = 31 (K. Reynolds 7, Johnson 7, Jordan 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 5. Assists: 3. Steals: 4 (K. Reynolds 2). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.
IRONTON (7-5, 3-3): Ethan Wilson 1 0 3-4 5, Joel Blankenship 2 1 1-1 8, Kyle Adkins 1 2 1-4 9, Raphael Glover 6 0 1-1 13, Ryan Bryant 0 0 3-4 3, Jourdyn Barrow 1 0 0-0 2, Andrew Scott 3 0 0-0 6, Hunter Humphreys 0 0 0-0 0, Ryan Payne 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17-48 9-14 46 3-point goals: 3-15. Rebounds: 11-O, 16-D = 27 (Scott 7, Bryant 6, Wilson 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 1. Assists: 4 (Adkins 2). Steals: 6 (Blankenship 2). Turnovers: 11. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.

Military Appreciation
The Ohio High School Athletic Association has declared Friday Military Appreciation Day and Ironton High School will pay tribute to current members of the military as well as all veterans during a home basketball game against the Coal Grove Hornets.
Past and present members of the military need only to show identification of their military association and they will be admitted free to the game.
Additional activities have also been planned.
The junior varsity game begins at 6 p.m. followed by the varsity at approximately 7:30.