Inexperience caught up with the Cavaliers in their 45-43 loss to Portsmouth Tuesday night at Hatton Memorial Gymnasium.
Chillicothe had rallied from a nine-point deficit to go up by five with 3:16 remaining. However, the Cavs failed to protect their lead and lost for the first time this season… their second consecutive loss to the Trojans.
While the Cavs has a number of seniors on their team, the floor time is thin with a team which made its way through five road games to open the season unscathed.
In the final minutes, Adam Bixler gave the Cavs a 41-38 lead and Zach
Johnson hit a field goal to create a five point spread at 43-38. Portsmouth center Dion McKinley stepped outside the arc and nailed a three-pointer from the right corner to cut Chillicothe’s lead to 43-41. Following a charging call on the Johnson, the Trojans’ Wayne Evans found Len Collins on a back door cutter for a layup to tie the game at 43 with 1:55 left.
Chillicothe took time to draw up their strategy for the final 1:52. Coach Dave Hammond said in a post game interview, the Cavs had planned to run out the clock or look for an open shot inside. Aaron Elliott saw an opening from the top of the key, went down the paint, and like Johnson on the previous possession, was whistled for a
charge.
Evans answered with two free throws at the other end to lift Portsmouth ahead 45-43 with 21.9 seconds left.
Chillicothe worked for a final shot and worked the clock down to 4 seconds when Portsmouth fouled Bixler. The Trojans had fouls to give with just 3 in the second half. On the inbounds, Bixler’s pass to MaLik Johnson sailed just out of the reach of the 6’9” pivot man. Thinking the game was over, McKinley tossed the ball skyward, only to hit a cross beam in the gym ceiling with 1.2 seconds remaining giving the Cavs one final opportunity.
Bixler’s next entry pass was grabbed by Marcus Dunn for a three pointer which landed shy of the basket, game over… Portsmouth wins.
The Cavs were playing in front of a packed house in their home debut and got off to a slow start, falling behind 11-2. Chillicothe whittled the lead to six at the end of the first quarter at 15-6, but Portsmouth pulled away to another 9-point edge at 22-13 just before intermission.
Chillicothe’s 14 first half turnovers dug a whole they’d climb out of in the third quarter. The Cavs outscored Portsmouth 18-12 to narrow the margin to 34-33 through three. Chillicothe lessened its mistakes and climbed to its first lead at 29-28 on a Johnson layup with 2:03 left in the third period, then opened the fourth with a London dunk.
The lead changed hands three times and London used a frozen rope from 8 feet away for the five point lead at the 3:16 mark.
Johnson led all scorers with 18 points and Aaron Elliott had 10 for the Cavaliers (5-1/2-1) in double figures.
McKinley (13) and Evans (11) paced the Trojans (4-2/2-1).
The two clubs will meet again in February in Portsmouth.
Prior to the game, the family of former Chillicothe Athletic Director Rey Bradley gathered for the dedication of Rey’s Corner at the Northeast corner of Hatton Memorial Gymnasium. Bradley was a fixture in that corner of the gym during his days at Cavalier athletic contests. A plaque and portrait of Bradley now hangs on the wall above that spot.
