Lady Senators Siege the 'Burg: West Takes Control of SOC 3 with Gritty Road Win

WHEELERSBURG, Ohio — In a defensive slugfest with the Southern Ohio Conference top division spot on the line, the Portsmouth West Lady Senators used a dominant fourth-quarter surge to upend the Wheelersburg Lady Pirates, 37-28, on Monday night.

Portsmouth West's Macey Whisman contests a layup attempt by Wheelersburg's Callie DeHart.

Both teams entered the contest undefeated in SOC 3 play, but it was West (10-1) that found their rhythm when it mattered most, outscoring the Pirates 15-5 in the final frame to secure the road victory and joint possession of the conference lead with Waverly.

The opening quarter set the tone for a back-and-forth affair. West’s Brayleigh Pistole knocked down a triple with 1:30 left in the period to give the Lady Senators an 11-8 lead, but the Lady Pirates responded immediately. Ava Artrip and Callie Dehart each buried shots from behind the arc to give Wheelersburg a 14-11 edge heading into the second.

Offense became a premium in the middle periods. Both teams struggled from the floor, with the Lady Pirates holding a slim 17-15 lead at the half. The defensive intensity continued into the third, highlighted by a hustle play from West’s Ally Buckner, who saved an errant shot and found Maddie Lawless for a layup to keep the Lady Senators within striking distance.

Wheelersburg held a narrow 23-22 lead entering the fourth, but the momentum shifted for good at the six-minute mark. After Macey Whisman converted a tough putback layup to give West a 26-25 lead, Lawless extended the cushion with a long banked two-pointer.

The dagger came with 3:35 remaining when Buckner found the bottom of the net on a corner three-pointer off a skip pass from Hailey Carver. From there, the Lady Senators sealed the game at the charity stripe, with Carver, Whisman, and Pistole combining to go 5-for-8 in the closing minutes.

Wheelersburg's Lainey Skeenes prepares a jump shot with Portsmouth West's Ally Buckner contesting.

West had a balanced scoring attack led by Brayleigh Pistole (10), Maddie Lawless (8) and Hailey Carver (8), with help from Ally Buckner’s (6) two triples and Macey Whisman (5) scoring her two baskets and lone free throw in the 4th. West (10-1, 3-0 SOC 3) faces another massive conference test as they travel to take on the Waverly Tigers (9-2, 3-0 SOC 3) in a battle for the top spot in the standings.

Peyton May (9) and Callie Dehart (8) led the way for Wheelersburg, but the team shot 10/49 from the field (20%), and 5/18 from the charity stripe (28%). The Lady Pirates will look to bounce back at home as they host the South Webster Jeeps (5-4).