PROCTORVILLE — The road to winning the Ohio Valley Conference championship doesn’t just run through Fairland. It stops there.
Often.
Needing a win to claim at least a share of the OVC basketball title, the Fairland Lady Dragons beat the Portsmouth Lady Trojans 68-51 on Monday.
In front of a packed crowd, the Lady Dragons won at least a share of their fourth straight OVC title for the first time. Fairland had previously won 3 titles in a row on 2 occasions.
Portsmouth (17-3, 13-1) won the first meeting at home 55-51 on Jan. 8, but Fairland used some long-range shooting to turn the tables and share the title.
The Lady Dragons were 11-of-23 from behind the arc while Portsmouth made seven 3-pointers with Daysha Reid getting 5 of them.
Fairland (19-1, 13-1) was led by Kylee Bruce with 20 points and Bree Allen scored 19. Allen hit 4 and Bruce 3 from beyond the arc.
Bruce banked in a 3-pointer from the right of the foul line that put Fairland ahead 10-7 with 4:30 left in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the game.
Reid hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left in the first quarter that got Portsmouth within 17-16.
Portsmouth was within 21-20 after a layup by Sienna Allen, but Bailey Russell hit a 17-footer and Bree Allen converted a 3-point play and it was 26-20.
Bruce hit a 3-pointer and a layup that gave Fairland a 37-25 lead with 1:12 left in the half.
Isa Taliaferro’s 3-pointer with 38 seconds left put Fairland up 40-29 but Savannah Cantrell hit a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer and the Lady Trojans were down 40-31 at the half.
The Lady Trojans cut the deficit to 44-38 with 1:56 left in the third quarter after a free throw by Keke Woods and a layup by Reid.
But Russell hit a 3-pointer at the 1:29 mark to end the Lady Trojans’ short scoring burst. Addison Godby scored to give Fairland a 49-39 lead. A free throw by Sienna Allen had the Lady Trojans down 49-42 at the end of the quarter.
Woods’ layup to start the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 49-44, but Bree Allen hit a trifecta and Russell went 3-of-4 at the foul line and it was 58-46 with 3:38 to play.
Bruce followed with a layup and Kamryn Barnitz hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key and the Lady Dragons’ lead ballooned to 63-46 with 2:12 to go.
Russell finished with 15 points as Fairland had 3 players in double digits. Godby had 7 rebounds, Bruce 6 and Bree Allen 5. Godby also had 6 assists and Bruce 4.
Besides Reid with her game-high 23 points, Carter scored 12 points and Sienna Allen added 10 for the Lady Trojans who won their first conference championship since 1986.
Portsmouth 16 15 11 9 = 51
Fairland 17 23 9 19 = 68
PORTSMOUTH (17-3, 13-1): Emily Cheatham 0 0 0-0 0, Sienna Allen 1 0 8-10 10, Daysha Reid 4 5 0-0 23, Keke Woods 1 0 1-2 3, Hayven Carter 3 1 3-4 12, Bry Shannon 0 0 0-0 0, K.K. Mays 0 0 0-0 0, Kahe Ankrom 0 0 0-0 0, Savannah Cantrell 0 1 0-0 3. Totals: 9 7 12-16 51. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: Carter.
FAIRLAND (19-1, 13-1): Teagan Leep 1 0 0-0 2, Isa Taliaferro 0 1 0-0 3, Addison Godby 2 0 0-0 4, Bree Allen 2 4 3-3 19, Kamryn Barnitz 1 1 0-0 5, Bailey Russell 3 2 3-4 15, Kylee Bruce 4 3 3-4 20. Totals: 24-44 9-11 68. 3-pt goals: 11-23. Rebounds: 27 (Godby 7, Bruce 6, Allen 5). Assists: 17 (Godby 6, Bruce 4). Steals: 3. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: Godby, Allen.
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