Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Hornets weren’t about to let this one get away.
After losing a heartbreaker in overtime last Friday at South Point, the Hornets hit some clutch foul shots in the final seconds to beat the Portsmouth Trojans 62-60 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Tuesday.
The Hornets led 58-55 with 2:15 when Miles Shipp made a layup and cut the lead to one.
After a missed layup, Portsmouth had the ball only to slip and fall and Trevor Hankins grabbed the loose ball.
A few seconds later, Hankins was fouled and hit the front end one a one-and-one with 34 seconds left for a 59-57. Teammate Malachi Wheeler got the rebound on the missed shot and was fouled and sank two free throws four seconds later.
Donovan Carr converted a 3-pointer play and it was 61-60 with 21 seconds left.
Hankins was fouled again with eight seconds to go and hit a free throw for a 62-60 lead. Portsmouth’s Drew Roe raced toward the other end only to be cut off at the baseline and his shot attempt was blocked by Jarren Hicks as time expired.
Perry Kingery scored 8 of his 10 points in the first quarter and Chris Duff hit a pair of 3-pointers and had 8 points as the teams were tied at 18.
Duff had another triple and scored 6 points as the Trojans went up 32-27 at the half.
But Hankins hit a pair of 3-pointers and he and Tait Matney scored 8 points each as Coal Grove got within 49-47 at the end of the third quarter.
Hankins had 5 points and Braxton Horn hit a big 3-pointer and the Hornets kept making clutch plays down the stretch to get the win.
Coal Grove (5-3, 3-1) had four players in double figures led by Wheeler with 14 and Hankins with 13. Matney scored 11 to go with Kingery’s total.
Duff had a game-high 19 points, Shipp scored 18 while Carr had 11 and Darriyonne Bryant 10 for Portsmouth.
Coal Grove host Fairland on Friday.
Portsmouth 18 14 17 11 = 60
Coal Grove 18 9 20 15 = 62
PORTSMOUTH (NA): Amare Johnson 1 0 0-0 2, Drew Roe 0 0 0-0 0, Darriyonne Bryant 5 0 0-2 10, Chris Duff 3 4 1-2 19, Daewin Spence 0 0 0-0 0, Donovan Carr 5 0 1-1 11, Michael Duncan 0 0 0-0 0, Miles Shipp 9 0 0-0 18, Devon Lattimore 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 4 2-3 60. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.
COAL GROVE (5-3, 3-1): Malchi Wheeler 5 0 4-4 14, Jarren Hicks 4 0 1-2 9, Trevor Hankins 1 2 5-7 13, Tait Matney 5 0 1-2 11, Hunter Staton 0 0 0-1 0-0 0, Elijah Dillon 0 0 0-0 0, Braxton Horn 1 1 0-0 5, Perry Kingery 4 0 2-2 10. Totals: 20 3 13-17 62. Fouls: 7. Fouled out: None.