In her final game, North Adams senior point guard Kenlie Jones gets off a jumper in action for the Lady Devils’ regional final loss to Portsmouth on March 9. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

In her final game, North Adams senior point guard Kenlie Jones gets off a jumper in action for the Lady Devils’ regional final loss to Portsmouth on March 9. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

<p>Making a move to the basket is North Adams senior Harlee Brand during the Lady Devils’ 42-25 loss to Portsmouth in the Division III regional championship. Brand tallied 7 points in her last game in the green and gold. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)</p>

Making a move to the basket is North Adams senior Harlee Brand during the Lady Devils’ 42-25 loss to Portsmouth in the Division III regional championship. Brand tallied 7 points in her last game in the green and gold. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
<p>Playing her final game at North Adams, senior Taylor Shelton (23) eyes a rebound as she and the Lady Devils ended their season with a 42-25 loss to Portsmouth in the Division III regional finals. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)</p>

Playing her final game at North Adams, senior Taylor Shelton (23) eyes a rebound as she and the Lady Devils ended their season with a 42-25 loss to Portsmouth in the Division III regional finals. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
<p>I didn’t get the call? North Adams’ junior Tatum Grooms looks at the official with amazement in action from the March 9 regional title game with Portsmouth. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)</p>

I didn’t get the call? North Adams’ junior Tatum Grooms looks at the official with amazement in action from the March 9 regional title game with Portsmouth. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
<p>In his 24th year at the helm, North Adams Lady Devils head coach Rob Davis led his team to a 21-6 record and a berth in the Division III Elite Eight. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)</p>

In his 24th year at the helm, North Adams Lady Devils head coach Rob Davis led his team to a 21-6 record and a berth in the Division III Elite Eight. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

A few weeks ago, 201 Division III girls basketball teams in Ohio began their postseason dreams. By last Saturday, march 9, there were just eight of those teams left standing and for the second time in five season, one of those eight was the North Adams Lady Devils. Coach Rob Davis has built an unprecedented culture of success and the Lady Devils were looking for their first-ever Final Four trip when they took the court at Logan High School with the Portsmouth Lady Trojans the only obstacle in their path, with the Lady Trojans also looking for their first-ever trip to the state tournament.

When you get as far as the Elite Eight, there is little margin for error and the Lady Devils found that out on Saturday night. A tough second quarter full of missed opportunities on the North Adams side put then Lady Devils in a double digit halftime hole and they just were never able to recover. The game was everything that Coach Davis and his squad wanted,a low-scoring defensive struggle, but it was a bit to low-scoring for the Lady Devils as they could get absolutely no shots to fall against a quick Portsmouth defense. In the end, it was the Lady Dragons cutting down the nets and celebrating a state berth after a 42-25 victory.

Want the rest of the story? Pick up your copy of the March 13 edition of The People’s Defender or better yet, get your subscription started today so you won’t miss any of Adams County’s best coverage of news and sports! Call 937-544-2391 and have the Defender delivered to your door!