Bootheel: Portageville dominates its way to another league title

PORTAGEVILLE – Each of the past two girl’s basketball seasons, the Portageville High School squad has advanced DEEP into the MSHSAA postseason.

Bulldog fans may want to clear their calendars in early March because their favorite team is storming its way to another possible run to the MSHSAA Class 3 State Finals.

Portageville rolled Malden 58-30 on Thursday in the championship game of the Bootheel Conference Tournament at Portageville High School.

The tournament title was the second for the Bulldogs over the Green Wave in as many years.

“We talk about being a little more versatile,” 12th-year Bulldog coach Kellye Fowler said following the win. “We want to be able to do a few more things.”

Portageville (19-3) advanced to the MSHSAA Class 2 quarterfinals in 2024 after doing so at the Class 3 level in 2023. However, in both years, Fowler’s kids ran up against a stingy man-to-man defense in their final loss, so she has had her team working on that aspect of play, at times, throughout this season, including on Thursday.

“Both years,” Fowler explained, “we have run up against really good man teams (Principia in 2024 and West County in 2023), and it is something that we weren’t used to.

“We work on (man offense) pretty regularly in practice. We don’t see a lot of man (defense) in the regular season.”

It didn’t matter what Portageville ran offensively on Thursday, as it cruised to its 12th consecutive victory.

The Bulldogs limited Malden (13-6) to one basket in the opening quarter and 10 points in the first half.

Portageville junior Gloriaha Farmer had 10 points in the first half, which matched the total by the Bulldogs’ lone senior Ja’niya Smith.

“Being able to run our man offense,” Fowler said, “and being able to handle that type of pressure, that is the key to taking a step further this year.”

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 9 in Class 3 and have won 80 of 108 games over the past four seasons. They were led on Thursday by Farmer with 20 points while Smith finished with 12.

Portageville also got nine points each from juniors Maggie Priggel and Taryn Irby.

Malden was paced by junior Hestania Jackson with eight points while freshman Mynena Thornton added seven.

The Green Wave will visit Chaffee (13-4) on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Portageville will travel to Saxony Lutheran (3-15) on Monday at 7:30 p.m.