Hendersonville High senior guard Austin Kirby elevates for a layin during first-quarter action. Kirby scored 15 points in the Commandos’ 51-32 victory over Portland on Tuesday evening.
HENDERSONVILLE Hendersonville High’s boys basketball team showed no ill effects from playing a district game less than 24 hours earlier.
While visiting Portland struggled to score in the first half, the Commandos went on cruise control, running out to a 30-point lead by halftime in a 51-32 victory over the Panthers.
Hendersonville (8-14 overall, 3-8 in District 9-AAA) led 21-1 after one quarter and 39-9 at halftime as Portland only made one field goal in the first half, a 3-pointer from freshman Austin Hicks with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Hendersonville held a 30-2 lead with 4:52 left in the first half.
“We were just playing hard defense,” Commando senior forward Preston Brown said. “That’s what we’re trying to build our program around this year.”
Hendersonville senior guard Austin Kirby scored 11 points over the first 8:51 of the contest and finished the game with 15 points.
Portland High freshman guard Austin Hicks maintains possession amidst pressure from Hendersonville sophomore Cooper Smith during second-quarter action. Hicks scored eight points.
“I’m proud of our effort in the first half,” Hendersonville head coach Kerry West said. “I thought our team played well. (It was) our defensive mentality, our quickness and speed and toughness, and we shot the ball well. Overall, we played a really good first half.”
Portland (5-19, 0-11) made six free throws in the first half but not much else.
“We got some really good looks early in the first quarter,” Panther head coach Chris Carney said. “We missed layups. We missed free throws. We missed some open threes. It was kind of like there was something hanging on the rim preventing them (from going in). Some nights, it’s like that, but if you play hard enough defense, you allow yourself to stay in it.”
The Panthers outscored Hendersonville by a 15-9 margin in the third quarter as senior forward Caelum Utley scored eight points in the period.
“(Utley’s) such a good player, and he’s so talented,” West said. “He’s savvy, and he understands how to play. Some of our younger guys that were in there struggled to understand how good he actually is.”
Hendersonville High senior guard Jason Hernando dribbles into the lane during first-quarter action. Hernando scored two points.
Portland scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to cut the Commando lead to 18 (48-30), but each team only scored two points over the game’s final 5:30.
“I just think you saw a lot more structure than what we played with in the first half,” Carney said. “Some of it was (Hendersonville) pulling off the Ifull-court) press. Some of it was our guys playing with a little bit more urgency and care with the ball.”
Utley led Portland with 15 points, with all but one of those in the second half.
“We’ve put good halves together, but halves don’t win you games,” Carney said. “We continue to search for those four quarters.”
Hendersonville has won back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 28-29, and swept the regular-season series with Portland. The Commandos rolled to a 70-43 win at Portland on Jan. 8.
Portland High sophomore guard Dawson Simmons passes as Hendersonville junior Weston Schwerdt defends during second-quarter action.
It was a relief to the Commandos, who have lost four games in overtime in the month of January.
“It feels like everything is starting to come together,” Brown said. “I feel like we’ve had practice and more experience in late-game situations.”
West added, “(It was) just a fun game. I’m excited to see the way our guys are playing and bonding together. They’ve been through a lot of adversity with those overtime losses, and to see them hold tight and do what they’re doing, I’m proud of them.”
Portland plays at Beech on Friday evening, while Hendersonville plays at Mt. Juliet.
>> Three players scored in double figures as Hendersonville collected a 62-57 victory at Wilson Central on Monday evening.
Sophomore Ryne Loper led the Commandos offensively with 16 points, followed by Jordan Amis (15 points), Jason Hernando (11), Kirby (6), Cooper Smith (5), Brown (4), Dyilin Hoosier (3) and Justin Ernst (2).
Both Loper and Hernando hit three 3-pointers.
Wilson Central led 15-14 after one quarter before the Commandos took a 27-23 lead into halftime. Hendersonville led 46-41 entering the final period.
Senior guard Desmond Mason led the Wildcats with 22 points.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.
PORTLAND (32) – Caelum Utley 15, Austin Hicks 8, Eric Kirk 4, Grant Cook 3, Jay Crutchfield 2.
HENDERSONVILLE (51) – Austin Kirby 15, Alec Kirby 9, Preston Brown 6, Justin Ernst 5, Weston Schwerdt 5, Cooper Smith 4, Dyilin Hoosier 3, Jason Hernando 2, Ryne Loper 2.
Half: 39-9, Hendersonville. Three-point goals: Portland 3 (Hicks 2, Utley 1), Hendersonville 4 (Ernst 1, Hoosier 1, Alec Kirby 1, Austin Kirby 1). Records: Portland 5-19 overall, 0-11 in District 9-AAA; Hendersonville 8-14, 3-8.