Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — If the question is “Who is Gage Sampson,” Green coach Dirk Hollar says there is no right or wrong answer.
Sampson had 31 points as the Green Bobcats beat the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 66-xx in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
“Sampson dominated inside. I don’t know how many rebounds he had, but it was a lot. They had no answer,” said Green coach Dirk Hollar.
Zach Huffman scored 14 points and Tayte Carver added 12 points for the Bobcats.
Hunter Mathias led Clay with 11 points while Shaden Malone and Mason Newton had 10 each.
The game was tied 10-10 after the first quarter. Sampson and Huffman combined for all of Green’s points. Clay Cottle, Shaden Malone and Garret Beegan all hit 3-pointers for Clay.
Sampson — who had 20 points in the first half — scored 14 of Green’s 18 points in the second quarter to make it a 28-27 game at intermission.
Malone scored seven points with Newton and Reece Whitley adding four each as Clay continued with its upset hopes.
But in the third quarter, Carter scored five points, Huffman four and Caden Blizzard hit a trifecta as Green pulled away to a 47-36 lead.
“Once again, we got outplayed in the first half and then got after it in the third quarter,” said Green coach Dirk Hollar.
“Tayte Carver did a great job defending their best player (Mathias) and he was also very active on the boards in the second half. Kimbler did a great job of penetrating to open up the game for everyone else.”
Sampson and Huffman scored six points each while Carter had five points and Green outscored Clay 19-13 in the final quarter.
Mathias scored seven of Clay’s 13 points in the quarter.
On Tuesday, Green goes to South Webster.
Green 10 18 19 19 = 66
Ports. Clay 10 17 9 13 = 49
GREEN (8-5, 5-3): Tanner Kimbler 2 0 2-5 6, Tayte Carver 4 0 4-5 12, Gage Sampson 12 0 7-13 31, Caden Blizzard 0 1 0-0 3, Zach Huffman 6 0 2-3 14, Mason Hensley 0 0 0-0 0, Troy Otworth 0 0 0-0 0, Mason Barber 0 0 0-0 0, Caden Brammar 0 0 0-2 0, Levi Singleton 0 0 0-0 0. Totrals: 24 1 15-27 66. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.
PORTSMOUTH CLAY (5-7, 3-5): Clay Cottle 0 2 0-0 6, Shaden Malone 2 2 0-0 10, Mason Newton 3 0 4-6 10, Hunter Mathias 4 0 3-4 11, Reece Whitley 2 0 0-0 4, Evan Woods 0 0 0-0 0, Jared Conkel 0 0 0-0 0, Garret Beegan 1 1 0-0 5, Chase Hudson 0 0 0-0 0, Bryce Toomire 0 0 0-0 0, Caden Cline 0 0 0-0 0, Gage Moore 1 0 0-1 2, Jaden Jessee 0 0 1-2 1, Aspen Hall 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 5 8-12 49. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.