Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FRANKLIN FURNACE — It’s been like an NBA schedule.
The Green Bobcats played their third game in four days and showed signs of fatigue but held on to beat the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 57-51 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
“We’ve played four games in six day. We haven’t had rest or time to practice. I can’t wait for this week to end,” said Green coach Dirk Hollar.
“Hats off to Clay. They played their tails off. We had chances to finish them and they kept going at us. Coach (Garrick) Anderson is doing a great job and his boys played hard.”
Tayte Carver — who reached the career 1,000-point milestone on Wednesday against Portsmouth — led the Bobcats with 25 points.
Gage Sampson had 13 points while Tanner Kimbler added nine — all from the foul line.
“Tayte Carver had a huge night for us. Kimbler was struggling through an injury but knocked down 9-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter.
“We came out attacking, then settled and got tired,” said Hollar.
“Sampson got 13 points and he’s fighting through some pain, too. Caden Blizzard did a great job at the end rebounding and helping us secure the win.”
Hunter Mathias scored 25 points to lead Clay (1-2, 0-1) while Mason Newton and Garrett Beegan had eight each.
Green jumped in front 18-8 in the first quarter as Carver scored 10 points and Caden Blizzard added four of his six points. Newton had six for Clay.
Mathias got going in the second quarter with 10 points including a 3-pointer as Clay cut the deficit to 28-20 at the half.
Sampson scored seven points to keep the Bobcats in front.
Carver had six points to help offset eight points by Mathias who had a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter and the Bobcats went up 38-28.
A triple by Clay’s Moore with six minutes to go cut the spread to 40-33
Kimbler hit two foul shots for a 42-33 lead but Beegan scored, Mathias converted a 3-point plays and Beegan scored again and Green’s lead was down to 42-40.
Sampson’s basket and a trifecta by Carver opened up a 47-41 lead with four minutes left.
The game went back-and-forth between four and six points until Kimbler hit two foul shots and Carver scored for a 56-48 lead.
Reece Whitley’s trey got Clay within 56-51 only to have Kimbler hit another foul shot to seal the win.
Green hosts St. Joseph on Saturday and visits Eastern on Tuesday.
Ports, Clay 8 12 8 23 = 51
Green 18 10 10 19 = 57
PORTSMOUTH CLAY (1-2, 0-1): Clay Cottle 0 0 0-0 0, Shaden Malone 0 0 0-0 0, Mason Newton 4 0 0-0 8, Hunter Mathias 5 3 6-7 25, Reece Whitley 0 1 2-2 5, Garrett Beegan 4 0 0-0 8, Chase Hudson 0 0 0-0 0, Bryce Toomire 0 0 0-0 0, Gage Moore 0 1 2-4 5. Totals: 13 5 10-13 51. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.
GREEN (2-2, 1-0): Tanner Kimbler 0 0 9-10 9, Tayte Carver 10 1 2-6 25, Zach Huffman 1 0 0-0 2, Gage Sampson 6 0 1-2 13, Caden Blizzard 3 0 0-2 6, Ethan Huffman 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 21 1 12-20 57. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: None.