FINAL 4 PREVIEW: Lady Trojans looking to take another step towards repeat

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Lady Trojans need two wins to successfully defend their Division 5 state championship.

But what a two games they will be.

Portsmouth is 22-4 and is the Division 5 defending state champions. The Lady Trojans face the Norwayne Lady Bobcats (24-2) in the state semifinal game at 7 p.m. on Friday at Wright State University.

The first game will be the Fairland Lady Dragons (23-4) against the Ottawa-Glandorf Lady Titans (27-0) at 5 p.m. The championship game will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the University of Dayton Arena.

Portsmouth and Norwayne have played one common opponent. Norwayne beat Tuscarawas Valley 58-39 in their season opener and Portsmouth beat Tuscarawas Valley 66-48 last week in the regional finals.

“That’s hard to evaluate. Those two teams were playing their first games of the season and when we played Tuscarawas Valley it was after a full season,” said Hughes.

Portsmouth and Fairland split their regular season games. Fairland won at Portsmouth 44-39 early in the season and then Portsmouth won late in the year at Fairland 60-40.

The Lady Bobcats are 24-2 on the season and led by the trio of 5-11 senior Ava Maibach, 5-9 senior Allie DeMassimo and 6-1 sophomore Hannah Froelich.

Maibach averages 14.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. DeMassimo scores at a 13.3 clip and averages 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Froelich averages 10.7 points but 11.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

“They’re really good players. When you have three players that good, it makes it hard to defend,” said Hughes.

The other top players are 5-7 sophomore Courtney Cline who averages 8.5 points and 2.6 assists peer game, 5-6 sophomore Annie Hence with a 2.5 scoring average, and 5-7 senior Madicyn Rupp who averages 4.2 points per contest.

Portsmouth has a veteran group led by 6-foot senior point guard and Ohio University recruit Sienna Allen. The Southeast District Player of the Year, Allen is averaging 17.1 points a game.

Another first team all-district selection is 5-6 junior KeKe Woods who averages 17.1 points a game and is an outstanding defensive player.

Named to the second team all-district was 5-10 junior Hayven Carter who averages 12.1 points a game.

Also in the starting lineup will be 5-8 senior K.K. Mays and 5-6 sophomore Salem Allen. Both players are capable of scoring and play solid defense.

Off the bench are 5-9 junior Bry Sannon, 5-9 sophomore Sky Mays and 5-7 freshman Abi Whitt.

Portsmouth Lady Trojans

No. Player Pos. Ht. Gr.

  1 Sienna Allen PG 6-00 Sr.

  2 Salem Allen G 5-06 So.

  4 KeKe Wood G 5-06 Jr.

  5 Hayven Carter F 5-10 Jr.

12 Bry Shannon G 5-09 Jr.

20 K.K. Mays F 5-08 Sr.

23 Sky Mays G 5-09 So.

24 Abi Whitt F 5-07 Fr.

Head coach: Amy Hughes

Assistant coaches: Mike Hughes, Julie Hughes, Ashlie Frump, Tony McKrimmon, Julie Horn, Eric Johnson, Eve Gullett, Gage Hughes

2025-26 Results

Portsmouth 67 Olentangy 65

Portsmouth 65 Chesapeake 17

Portsmouth 91 Ironton 4

Portsmouth 48 Reynoldsburg 32

Portsmouth 65 Coal Grove 16

Portsmouth 39 Fairland 44

Portsmouth 55 Gallia Academy 24

Portsmouth 53 Rock Hill 14

Portsmouth 58 South Point 19

Portsmouth 46 Ashland, Ky. 32

Portsmouth 71 Chesapeake 36

Portsmouth 57 Ironton 7

Portsmouth 60 Granville 33

Portsmouth 54 Sycamore 49

Portsmouth 57 Coal Grove 26

Portsmouth 66 Rock Hill 14

Portsmouth 69 Gallia Academy 31

Portsmouth 73 South Point 20

Portsmouth 51 George Rogers Clark 56

Portsmouth 63 Ashland, Ky. 65

Portsmouth 60 Fairland 40

District Tournament

Portsmouth 76 Wellston 17

Portsmouth 73 Adena 19

Portsmouth 55 North Adams 32

Regional Tournament

Portsmouth 62 Eastern Brown 17

Portsmouth 66 Tuscarawas Valley 48

Record: 22-4

Norway Lady Bobcats

No. Player Pos. Ht. Gr.

  2 Ryan Urban PG 5-05 Fr.

  3 Aurora Lee  PG 5-03 Fr.

  4 Makenna Heyden PG 5-07 Jr.

10 Madicyn Rupp SG 5-07 Sr.

11 Gracie Henico SG 5-06 So.

12 Ava Maibach F 5-11 Sr.

14 Lyla Ramsier F 5-07 So.

20 Annie Henico PG 5-06 So.

21 Allie DeMassimo F 5-09 Sr.

22 Courtney Cline   SG 5-07 So.

23 Bayleigh Harklau F 5-08 Fr.

24 Ava Hackworth  C 5-11 So.

32 Elise Buckingham F 5-09 So.

33 Hannah Froelich C 6-01 So.

Head coach: Jake Shoup

Assistant coaches: Shyla Urban, Dan Williams, Caitlyn DeMassimo

2025-26 Results

Norwayne 58 Tuscarawas Valley 39

Norwayne 62 Northwestern 6

Norwayne 59 Berkshire 33

Norwayne 48 Chippewa 40

Norwayne 65 Smithville 27

Norwayne 52 Mapleton 27

Norwayne 67 Rittman 2

Norwayne 66 Hillsdale 13

Norwayne 60 Dalton 52

Norwayne 57 Northwestern 11

Norwayne 51 Waynedale 42

Norwayne 42 New London 31

Norwayne 58 Triway 24

Norwayne 63 Hiland 53

Norwayne 59 Smithville 37

Norwayne 60 Rittman 10

Norwayne 46 Hillsdale 16

Norwayne 49 Dalton 40

Norwayne 58 Loudonville 27

Norwayne 54 Waynedale 45

Norwayne 58 Chippewa 43

District Tournament

Norwayne 83 Clearview 8

Norwayne 65 Beachwood 19

Norwayne 65 Lake Catholic 37

Regional Tournament

Norwayne 63 Triway 28

Norwayne 52 Chippewa 33

Record: 24-2