Portsmouth boys basketball overcomes slow start to top Milford

MILFORD – The Portsmouth High School boys basketball team is in the midst of a stretch of games it should be winning.

After back-to-back wins over Pembroke (12-1) and Kennett (8-4), the Clippers faced a stretch of three games against teams at the bottom of the Division II standings. So far, they’ve survived two of those three, even if Monday’s 55-31 win over Milford wasn’t ascetically pleasing.

Portsmouth (10-2) had just two points through the game’s first 5:25, but fortunately for the Clippers, the Spartans (1-11) weren’t scoring much either. Milford led 6-2 when Portsmouth went on a 21-4 run to take control of the game.

Nick Mackey led the Clippers with 12 points, including two 3-pointers, while Donovan Phanor added 11 points and Zac Hansler had 10, with two 3s of his own. Portsmouth hit six 3s in all, as it was able to find success once it adjusted to Milford’s zone.

“We came out sluggish, but what keeps us in the games is our defense,” Portsmouth coach Jim Mulvey said. “Their zone was pretty good, but against a zone, you either make shots or you don’t. Once the game got going, we moved the ball better and I thought we were in good shape. We just weren’t scoring (but) we held them to 12 at halftime.”

Ross Briggs had nine points to lead Milford, which has lost 10 in a row, while Seth Hopkins and Drew Lesmerises each had five points. While the Spartans held Portsmouth below its season scoring average, they failed to break 40 points for the sixth time this season.

“Defensively, we worked hard and we matched their intensity, which we wanted to do,” Milford coach Dan Murray said. “Offensively, it was too fast. I think there was a streak in the second quarter where we had eight, nine, 10 turnovers in a row. That wasn’t the difference in the game, but it was definitely the difference in the first half. Early, we settled down and we got good looks and we got points. Then we had that nervous energy and went too fast.”

Despite turning the ball over 14 times in the first half and trailing by 11 going into the second, Milford got off to a fast start in the third quarter, cutting the Portsmouth lead to seven points early. But the Clippers responded with a 12-2 run to end the third up 36-19, and they stretched that run to 23-4 into the fourth.

“Third quarter we didn’t score much at all,” Murray said. “That’s been our story all year, but their inexperienced as hoop players. They get caught up in the moment.”

Both teams were playing shorthanded, as Portsmouth’s De’Vonn Wilson-Miles didn’t make the trip due to injury. Milford was without seniors Evan Perron, who was battling an illness, and Connor Gosselin, who is returning from a serious knee injury and should play Tuesday against ConVal.

Portsmouth is also back in action Tuesday, as it hosts Oyster River.