Portageville storms back to beat Lady Tigers

NEELYVILLE — The Neelyville Lady Tigers basketball season comes to an end in this year’s Class 2 state tournament after an intense battle.

While proving they were the best team in their respective districts, the Neelyville Lady Tigers clashed with the Portageville Lady Bulldogs on Monday in the first round of the Class 2 state tournament.

Despite being in control for most of the game, the Lady Tigers couldn’t withstand a third-quarter explosion from Portageville and fell 50-49.

Portageville head coach Kellye Fowler knew it would be a battle coming into the Tigers’ den, but she is happy with how her team rallied back to claim the victory.

“I’m filled with a lot of emotions, but I’m just so proud of the girls and how they fought from behind,” Fowler said. “We knew that this game would be a fight playing in front of this crowd, but the girls never gave up. I’m proud that they held their composure at the end by making free throws and protecting the ball. I can’t express how happy I am for them. This was a great win for us.”

The Lady Tigers finished the regular season 19-10, while Portageville closed with a 22-5 record. Despite having a slight difference in total wins, the Lady Tigers held the momentum over the Lady Bulldogs after snagging a 65-45 win earlier this season at the Lady Royals Christmas Classic.

After being tossed in last year’s state tournament by East Carter, the Lady Tigers aimed to get redemption and move on from the first round. The Lady Tigers won their last state title in 2018, and they needed a complete game Monday for a chance to get back to the pinnacle.

The crowd was electric as both teams stepped onto that court. With both teams coming into the matchup as back-to-back district champs, the final outcome would come down to which team wanted the win the most.

The game started off with a solid balance as each team looked for an opening to make a run. Every possession mattered in a win-or-go-home situation, so the Lady Tigers were patient with their shot selection.

The game stayed even until the Lady Tigers caught a spark from beyond the arc with multiple 3-pointers and closed out the opening period with a 14-6 lead. Despite pulling down many offensive rebounds, Portageville struggled to find the bottom of the basket, giving the Lady Tigers the window to extend the lead.

During the second quarter, Portageville began to find a rhythm, pulling within four points. Regardless of any traps Portageville threw, the Lady Tigers continued to stay in attack mode.

The Lady Tigers held a 27-17 at the half, but the deficit continued to grow with some streaky shooting from Jade Crosswhite. Portageville finally got a run going after Neelyville lost one of its starters due to injury. The Lady Bulldogs began to connect on multiple baskets, trimming the lead to 43-33.

With their backs against the wall, the Lady Tigers were pushed to their limits in the final period. After battling from behind for most of the game, Portageville managed to bring the game within two points during the final minutes of the game.

With 30 seconds left on the clock, Portageville snatched the hearts from the Lady Tiger in the final seconds to advance to the next round.

Crosswhite led Neelyville with 16 points, while Layni Dobbins added 15.

The Lady Bulldogs were led by Taryn Irby with 12 points, Janiya Smith had 11, Gloriah Farmer had 10, and Laney Stone had eight.

With the next round in front of them, Fowler said getting the win over Neelyville gives them a lot of confidence as they gear up for their next opponent.

“This is one of the closes games we’ve had all season,” Fowler said. “Knowing that we can be tested on the road and still come away with a win shows us that we can overcome anything. I think this win will give us more of an edge going into that next game. No matter when we’re down or up, we will continue to play hard and fight. These girls are hungry to go the final four, and that’s something that’s never been done at Portageville, so we’re going to give everything we got.”