By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — The South Point Pointers were bracing for a dogfight and knew they would have to step up.

The Pointers did more than step up as they high-stepped their way to an 85-49 rout of the Portsmouth Trojans in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.

“That’s the best game we have played all year. It was a great team effort,” said Pointers’ coach Travis Wise.

“(Xathan) Haney stepped up, Elijah (Wilburn) was great defensively and (Braydeb) Hanshaw was dominating the boards.”

Caleb Lovely was up to his old self as he scored 22 points including 4 shots from behind the arc. Xathan Haney scored 14 points as he hit 3 shots from the arc togo with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Carter Smith scored 12 points and Brayden Hanshaw hauled down 10 rebounds.

Deandre Berry scored 23 points for Portsmouth and Donovan Breech scored 11.

South Point is now 7-4 overall and remains tied for first place with Ironton at 5-1. Portsmouth slips to 7-3 and into second place at 4-2.

Portsmouth led 5-0 to start the game  and it was 7-2 when Lamaracus Parker sank 2 foul shots at the 4:31 mark.

Lovely then hit a 3-pointer and a layup and Wilburn added a layup to give the Pointers a 10-7 lead.

Smith’s 3-pointer and Jalyn Anderson’s layup put the lead at 18-7. Berry scored inside, Wilburn made a foul shot and Breech hit a baseline shot and it was 19-11 at the end of the first quarter.

A putback by Breech had the Trojans down 24-17 but the Pointers went on a 16-1 run to build a 40-18 lead with 3:15 left in the half.

Lovely made 2 foul shots and then launched a 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net with one second left and the Pointers were up 47-24.

Haney drilled a 3-pointer that opened up a 58-33 lead with 2:16 left to play. Davon Lewis hit a 3-pointer from the right corner as the lead went to 63-38. Berry made 2 free throws and it was 63-40 at the end of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Haney and Smith scored 5 points and each hit a 3-pointer while Childlers had 4 points as South Point outscored Portsmouth 18-9.

The Pointers were 6-of-8 from the foul line in the quarter.

South Point    19 28 16 18 = 85

Portsmouth 11 13 16 9 = 49

SOUTH POINT (7-4, 5-1): Caleb Lovely 2 4 8-9 22, Carter Smith 3 2 0-2 12, Elijah Wilburn 2 0 3-6 7, Xathan Haney 4 3 0-0 14, Josh Childers 4 0 1-2 9, Ethan Layne 0 0 0-0 0, Brayden Hanshaw 2 0 2-2 6, Jalyn Anderson 1 0 1-2 3. Totals: 27-57 17-25 84. 3-pt goals: 9-19.  Rebounds: 25 (Hanshaw 10, Haney 6). Assists: 17 (Haney 5, Childers 5). Steals: 6 (Wilburn 4). Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: None.

PORTSMOUTH (7-3, 4-2): Isaiah Lewis 1 0 2-4 4, Donovan Breech 5 0 1-2 11, Malachi Loper 0 0 3-4 3, Cameron Williams 1 0 0-0 2, Kayla Johnson 0 0 0-0 0, Noah Livingston 0 0 1-2 1, LaVaughn Cobb 1 0 0-0 2, Leelind Scurlock 0 0 0-0 0, Jayden Brewer 0 0 0-0 0, Luke Stine 1 0 1-2 3, Dontavion Parker 0 0 0-0 0, Deandre Berry 8 1 4-9 23. Totals: 17 1 12-23 49. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: None.