Portland Girls' Win Fifth in a Row

Portland jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back on the way to a 47-23 victory over Hale-Ray at home in a girls’ basketball game Thursday night.

The victory was the fifth straight for the Highlanders.

Sarah Bierly scored the game’s first four points and Alyssa Unikewicz hit a three-pointer as Portland took control early, resulting in a Hale-Ray timeout only 3:02 into the game. When the teams came back out on the court, Portland unveiled its press. At least initially, the Little Noises were prepared, beating the pressure for a couple of easy baskets.

“They did break our press,” Portland coach Nick Chaconis said. “We stayed with it, then we got some deflections and some easy baskets, and just rattled them a little bit.”

Portland (5-1) built a 12-4 lead with another three by Unikewicz and a basket by Laura Wall. After Hale-Ray’s Lydia Walter made it 12-6, the press took over and Portland went on a 7-0 run, thanks in part to four turnovers by the Little Noises.

Bierly, who had eight points in the first quarter, hit a baseline jumper for a 14-6 lead. Meaghan Rodgers was fouled making a layup and converted the free throw to make it 17-6. Then Unikewicz fed Bierly for a nice spin move in the paint and a 19-6 lead.

Portland, however, let Hale-Ray (2-4) off the hook in the second quarter. Leading 19-7 entering the quarter, the Highlanders scored only two points over the first 5:05. Hale-Ray wasn’t much better though, scoring only five during that span, including a three by Missy Martin.

“They’re very scrappy and they’re young,” Chaconis said of Hale-Ray. “They have a good post player, a good guard and they’re always physical.”

Finally Unikewicz drilled her third three of the half for a 24-12 lead, then hit Wall with a crisp pass into the lane for a spinning lay in. Portland led 26-14 at the half.

“That first-quarter surge got us a good cushion,” Chaconis said. “The second quarter we played even. The third quarter, that was basically our halftime speech, if we let them back in the game we’re going to be in for a tough night. Everything gets a little tougher when the game gets tighter.”

The game didn’t get tighter.

The Highlanders outscored Hale-Ray 9-0 in the third quarter and went on a 15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 41-14 lead.

Bierly and Unikewicz led all scorers with 14 points each. Lauren Schmittburger and Jessica Dombroski scored six each for Hale-Ray.

Three seniors, Bierly, Unikewicz and Rodgers, are being counted on heavily to keep the Highlanders among the top teams in the Shoreline Conference after two consecutive trips to the Class S finals and a state title last season. Still, there are other pieces to the puzzle. Six games into the season, they are beginning to fit nicely.

“After we lost two great seniors last year we definitely had to pick it up this year,” Unikewicz said of the seniors, “but we have two new starting players, well, three in the mix, McKenzie [Reimondo], Brianna [Marconi] and Laura, and they’re a great addition to the team. I think we’re working well together.”

And it is showing on the court, but the Highlanders understand there is work to be done.

“We’ve worked a lot in practice on things,” Unikewicz said. “The one thing that we’ve really been working on is boxing out because we’re a small team compared with everyone else. But we’re really coming along and by the end of the season we’re going to be right up there.”

Portland will take to the road next week when it plays in the Erica Garrett Memorial Tournament in Rocky Hill on Tuesday and Thursday. The Highlanders will face Rocky Hill in the first round at 7 p.m. Berlin and Farmington will play in the other first-round game.

“It’s nice to get away from the league and play tough competition. I won’t say it’s better competition, but it’s different,” Chaconis said. “To see other teams … you can try different things and see how you make out, see how you fare.”

Portland also will play at Coventry on Dec. 30 before returning to its Shoreline schedule.