Lady Bulldogs showcase championship DNA with Al Jackson Classic Title

HAYTI, Mo — Portageville’s inside-outside offensive dominance and veteran experience proved too much for Hayti to handle, as the Lady Bulldogs (2-0) claimed a decisive 69-34 victory over the Lady Indians (2-2) in the Al Jackson Classic Championship on Thursday, Nov. 30.

“It’s always nice to win a trophy,” said Portageville coach Kellye Fowler. “It’s good for the spirit. It builds confidence for these kids to see the hard work, not just from this year but from throughout their careers, pay off.

“A lot of times in these early season games, you’re still just learning and figuring things out,” she continued. “But we’re seeing our seniority pay off. We know what we are supposed to be doing.”

Seizing control of the game from the opening tip, Portageville imposed their will on Hayti with a suffocating defensive effort that quickly stifled the Lady Indians’ offense. Capitalizing on their defensive dominance, the Lady Bulldogs raced out to a commanding 22-2 lead.

“We came out with a lot of intensity,” Fowler said. “We just started by putting a lot of defensive pressure on them. The girls came out to play. They wanted to win this game. It was a big matchup and they were focused.”

Ja’Niya Smith flexed her muscles in the post early, scoring eight of her 15 points in the first quarter, laying the foundation for Portageville’s commanding lead.

“[Smith] was making a difference for us offensively in that first quarter,” Fowler said. “That opened up things for us on the outside.”

Maintaining their suffocating defensive pressure and extending their offensive dominance, the Lady Bulldogs cruised to a commanding 43-10 halftime lead, effectively putting the game out of reach.

“We never really let off the gas,” Fowler said. “Sometimes when you get a big lead early, it’s easy to let off but they didn’t. They were focused and continued to play hard.”

At the forefront of Portageville’s offensive attack was Jayla Weddington, who had a game-high 16 points.

“[Weddington] dominates inside,” Fowler said. “Even though she is a little smaller, she finds ways to score. She’s aggressive and gets steals, which turn into layups a lot of times. She rebounds hard. She just plays with a lot of energy and that gets the rest of the team going.

She’s been a good leader for us.”

While Weddington and Smith dominated the paint, Laney Stone stretched the floor with her outside shooting, adding 15 points.

“[Stone] does the same kind of positive things as Smith and Weddington but from a guard standpoint,” Fowler said. “She’s a leader, who gets a lot of putbacks from being in the right place to rebound. She can drive to the basket and knock down shots.

“That’s been the key for us offensively, is having threats on the inside and outside,” she concluded.

Portageville hosts Twin Rivers (2-1) on Friday, Dec. 4, and will also host Caruthersville (0-1) on Monday, Dec. 7.

PORTAGEVILLE, HAYTI 34

Hayti 8 2 16 8 — 34

P’Ville 25 18 16 10 — 69

Hayti (34) — Carmen Rhines 15, Kalaiha Jones 5, Taaron Larry 4, De’Asia Williamson 4, Brakahia Rodgers 4, Olivia Taylor 2. FG: 13. FT: 8-16. F: 10. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none).

Portageville (69) — Jayla Weddington 16, Laney Stone 15, Ja’Niya Smith 15, Aubrey Greenwell 9, Taryn Irby 6, Lily Beth Priggel 4, Glo Farmer 4. FG: 30. FT: 6-12. F: 17. (3-pointers: Stone 2, Greenwell. Fouled out: none).