Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

WILLOW WOOD — Experts could never find answers to those famous missing 18 minutes in the Watergate tapes.

Symmes Valley coach Brandon Walker was looking for answers to the missing 8-minute stretch that was a key in the Lady Vikings 62-53 loss to the Portsmouth Clay Lady Panthers Thursday in a Southern Ohio Conference I game.

“There was an 8-minute stretch when we just didn’t rebound. We were giving them three and four looks at the basket,” said Walker.

“I don’t know what happened. Other tan that, we didn’t play that bad. Merranda Hayes did a nice job for us.”

Merranda Hayes played well for the Lady Vikings as she scored a career-high 14 points. Gracie Waddell and Kayla Hayes had 11 points each for Symmes Valley (5-9, 4-5).

Emily Widdowson scored 21 points and Lexi Gilliland 18 for Clay (8-4, 7-2).

Widdowson and Gilliland combined for 26 first half points as Clay took a 37-22 lead.

The Lady Panthers extended their lead to 52-33 after three quarters and led by as many as 26 points.

But Merranda Hayes scored 8 points, Waddell 6 and Kaitlyn Payne 4 points in the fourth quarter as the Lady Vikings continued to battle back.

Symmes Valley visits Green on Monday in a league game.

Ports. Clay 21 16 15 10 = 62

Sym. Valley 9 13 11 20 = 53

PORTSMOUTH CLAY (8-4, 7-2): Cam Whitely 0 0 0-0 0, Allison Castle 0 0 0-0 0, Lexi Gilliland 6 0 6-8 18, Shannon Curley 0 1 0-1 3, Courtney Delotell 1 0 0-0 2, Madison Whitley 3 0 0-1 6, Emily Widdowson 9 1 0-0 21, Katie Redding 6 0 1-2 1. Totals: 25 2 7-12 62. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: C. Whitley.

SYMMES VALLEY (5-9, 4-5): Malenna Davis 0 0 0-0 0, Merranda Hayes 6 0 2-5 14, Brianna Brumfield 0 0 0-0 0, Gracie Waddell 3 0 5-8 11, Kayla Hayes 4 0 3-4 11, Kalli Hunt 2 0 1-6 5, Megan Johnson 1 0 0-0 2, Sarah Crabtree 1 0 0-0 2, Hannah Maynard 0 0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Payne 3 0 2-6 8, Taylor Michael 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20 0 13-29 53. Fouls: 22.