Portageville wins first Bootheel Conference Title since 2018

MALDEN, Mo. — Portageville returned to the top of the Bootheel Conference mountain on Thursday, defeating Malden 60-30 in a lopsided championship game.

The victory marks the first conference title for the Class 3, No. 10-ranked and top-seeded Lady Bulldogs (17-3), ending a five-year drought with a dominant display.

“It was a great teammate effort with all the girls playing well,” Portageville coach Kellye Fowler said. “The girls played with a lot of positive energy, confidence and togetherness.

Portageville's Laney Stone (5) led the offense with 20 points during a 60-30 win over Malden in the championship game of the Bootheel Conference Championship at Malden High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Photo courtesy of Denton Kooyman

“It means a lot to these seniors to [win the conference championship] for the first time,” she continued. “It’s always one of our goals, and this is just a special group. We have a lot of seniors and they have been putting the work in and doing what it takes to be successful. It feels good to see it pay off for them.”\

The game started evenly matched, with both teams trading baskets early. However, Portageville began to pull away midway through the first quarter, sparked by a 3-pointer from Laney Stone and a baseline floater from Aubrey Greenwell.

Despite a brief comeback attempt by the second-seeded Green Wave (14-6), the Lady Bulldogs managed to close the period with an 18-14 lead thanks to a putback by Greenwell and a triple from Stone with about five seconds left on the clock.

Portageville's Taryn Irby (33) drives during a 60-30 win over Malden in the championship game of the Bootheel Conference Championship at Malden High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Courtesy of Denton Kooyman

The turning point of the game arrived midway through the second quarter with Taryn Irby's basket pushing the lead to double digits at the 3:26 mark, the fatigue factor became increasingly evident.

While the score may not have reflected it immediately, Malden's players visibly began to struggle. Their shots lacked their earlier zip, their movements on defense became sluggish, and the court seemed like sand under their feet.

The Lady Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run to close the half, fueled by Stone's third three-pointer of the half and a strong inside finish from Janiya Smith.

Portageville's Glo Farmer (10) passes during a 60-30 win over Malden in the championship game of the Bootheel Conference Championship at Malden High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Courtesy of Denton Kooyman

By halftime, Portageville had widened the gap to a comfortable 37-18 lead.

“We want to be able to outrun teams,” Fowler said. “We like to play fast and get up and down the court. To do that, we had to put the time in to be conditioned. The girls have worked extremely hard in practice. We’re also pretty deep and get some big minutes from the girls off our bench like sophomore Maggie Priggel. It’s nice to be able to use that to our advantage.”

The second half became a mere formality as Portageville maintained a comfortable margin.

Portageville's Maggie Priggel (15) drives during a 60-30 win over Malden in the championship game of the Bootheel Conference Championship at Malden High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Courtesy of Denton Kooyman

Free throws from Glo Farmer further extended the lead to more than 20 points early in the third quarter, and Portageville cruised to victory, ultimately invoking the mercy rule with a 30-point advantage in the final minutes.

“Once we got in a groove, everything picked up for us,” Fowler said. “The defense got better and we got some points off of turnovers.”

Portageville was led in scoring by Stone with 20 points, followed by teammates Jayla Weddington with 10 points and Smith with nine.

Portageville's Aubrey Greenwell (21) drives during a 60-30 win over Malden in the championship game of the Bootheel Conference Championship at Malden High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Courtesy of Denton Kooyman

Malden's top scorer was Dobbins with nine points.

Both teams look ahead to their next challenges, as Portageville hosts Charleston (2-16) and Malden travels to East Prairie (3-13) on Monday.

__PORTAGEVILLE 60, MALDEN 30__

Malden 14 4 10 2 — 30

P’Ville 18 19 12 11 — 60

Malden (30) — Angela Dobbins 9, Carson Cohen 7, Sydni Halliburton 6, Hestania Jackson 4, Mariah Loya 4. FG: 14. FT: 1-10. F: 16. (3-pointers: Cohen 1. Fouled out: Halliburton.)

Portageville (60) — Laney Stone 20, Jayla Weddington 10, Ja’Niya Smith 9, Lily Priggel 6, Glo Farmer 6, Taryn Irby 4, Aubrey Greenwell 4, Maggie Priggel 1. FG: 23. FT: 10-19. F: 9. (3-pointers: Stone 4. Fouled out: None.)