Portageville punches quarterfinal ticket with 65-46 win over Woodland

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Year after year, Portageville proves it’s more than just a contender — it’s a staple in the upper echelons of postseason basketball, where only the elite remain standing.

For the third straight season, the Lady Bulldogs (23-4, 7-0 Bootheel) stamped their ticket to the quarterfinals, powering through Woodland, 65-46, in the sectional round of the MSHSAA Class 3 State Tournament on Tuesday, March 4.

“It speaks volumes to these girls and our program as a whole,” said Portageville coach Kellye Fowler. “It’s not easy to get to this stage, but we’ve done it by continually building our program and getting better every year.”

While the Cardinals (15-12) may have had the size advantage, athleticism was the real difference-maker.  Portageville’s full-court press kept Woodland from getting into its half-court sets consistently, forcing rushed decisions and turnovers.

“Woodland can really shoot the ball and also has really good post players,” Fowler said. “We knew we had to put pressure on them and get turnovers.”

The Lady Bulldogs came prepared for the Cardinals’ zone defense, and it showed. Portageville worked the ball inside with ease and capitalized with timing shooting when Woodland would close off the paint.

“We knew we could really pound the baseline if they ran that 3-2 defense on us,” Fowler said. “We did that well tonight. We were able to get the ball inside to Ja’Niya Smith. When they collapsed on that, Taryn Irby really knocked down some shots. I also thought Maggie Priggel had a big game inside, and Glo Farmer played really well too.”

Portageville’s offense jumped out early, with Ja’Niya Smith, Maggie Priggel, and Taryn Irby combining for the first six points of the game.

Irby’s 3-pointer, which rattled around the rim before dropping, stretched the lead to 11-5 with just under two minutes left in the first quarter.

“We took the momentum and that’s important in big games like this,” Fowler said. “Starting strong just kind of eases those nerves and puts the pressure on the other team.”

As the quarter wound down, Priggel and Smith teamed up for a defensive stand, each blocking a shot on the same possession. Smith then grabbed the rebound, got fouled, and calmly hit two free throws, giving Portageville a 14-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“Plays like that just show how our girls continue to play,” Fowler said.

Irby’s 3-pointer to open the second quarter pushed the lead into double digits for the first time, an advantage the team would maintain for the rest of the game.

Seconds later, Smith followed with back-to-back baskets: a smooth off-glass finish after a quick stop on a dime, and a putback off an offensive rebound, extending the lead to 21-6 just over a minute into the second quarter.

Smith proved to be a mismatch all night, and Woodland had no answer. When the Cardinals tried to use a bigger, stronger defender, Smith blew right by them. Then, when they switched to a taller, leaner player, Smith used her strength to muscle her way to the rim, finishing with strength in the paint.

Smith’s blend of speed and strength overwhelmed Woodland, leading to a game-high 26 points.

“Ja’Niya just so hard to guard because she’s so multidimensional,” Fowler said. “I’m glad she is on my team, that is for sure.”

Mallary Barks did everything she could to keep Woodland in the game, carrying the load in the second quarter.

She was finally joined by Addyson Barks and Ella Cook, who contributed late in the frame. Massa’s 3-pointer with around two minutes left and a buzzer-beater trimmed the lead to 30-20 heading into halftime.

Out of the break, Portageville sent a clear message with a 9-0 run to open the third quarter. Woodland struggled to get anything going, failing to score for the first 3:08 of the period, and a layup from Irby at the 4:37 mark pushed the lead to 41-21.

A shift from a 2-3 zone to a box-and-one played a huge role in the run.

“We knew coming into the game that Woodland was well coached and we would have to be versatile,” Fowler said. “We couldn’t let up because that game could’ve still gone either way. We knew we couldn’t coast or go through the motions, and we made a statement coming out of halftime.”

The Cardinals briefly cut the lead to 12 with Barks’ traditional three-point play, but the Lady Bulldogs stretched it again with free throws from Josie Cayton and a 3-pointer from Irby to close the quarter at 51-34.

Woodland trimmed the lead to 59-46 on a 3-pointer from Massa with 2:17 remaining, but Irby’s clutch offensive putback and solid free throw shooting closed the game.

“The girls executed and handled this atmosphere really well,” Fowler said. “We knew that rebounding and applying defensive pressure to keep them from getting in halfcourt sets was key for winning.”

As Portageville prepares for its historic quarterfinals matchup, the significance of advancing to this stage for a third consecutive year is not lost on the team. Farmer, a key contributor, shared her thoughts on what it means to the team, program and community.

“It means a lot to us,” Farmer said. “We’ve been working all year to get back here, and we’re here to win. We hustled and did all the little things it takes to win at this time of the year.”

Portageville will host Steelville (10-12) in Saturday’s quarterfinals, with a historic opportunity on the line — a trip to the final four for the first time in program history.

“I told the girls that this is not something that happens often and that they have a special opportunity,” Fowler said. “We’re hungry and ready to take that next step.”

Portageville’s experience in the quarterfinals—having been eliminated in each of the past two seasons—adds extra motivation heading into this year’s matchup and Fowler sees that adversity as a strength.

“That experience is super beneficial,” she said. “So many of my girls have been in this spot before, played in this environment, and learned how to manage those nerves. They also know what it feels like to lose, which drives them to give even more. After every tough loss, I remind them to remember how it felt because we don’t want to experience that again. They’re determined to achieve something this program has never done.”

PORTAGEVILLE 65, WOODLAND 46

Woodland 6 14 12 12 — 46

Portageville 14 16 21 14 — 65

Woodland (46) — Mallary Barks 19, Addyson Massa 15, Tallie Johnson 7, Ella Cook 3, Payten Hinkle 2. FG: 16. FT: 10-24. F: 24. (3-pointers: Massa 3, Barks 1. Fouled out: Cook, Massa, Johnson.)

Portageville (65) —Ja’Niya Smith 26, Taryn Irby 18, Maggie Priggel 8, Glo Farmer 7, Alise Hickenbotom 2, Deasia Arterbridge 2, Josie Cayton 2. FG: 21. FT: 19-38. F: 23. (3-pointers: Irby 4. Fouled out: None.)