Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

ROCKSPRINGS — The Symmes Valley Vikings helped themselves and they hurt themselves.

The Vikings put up the points but had some defensive breakdowns as they lost 72-70 in overtime Wednesday to the South Gallia Rebels in the Division IV sectional tournament finals.

“It was not a good defensive effort on our part and we took a couple of bad shots. It was a pretty even match-up, we just had too many fouls. We have to learn to defend without fouling,” said Vikings’ coach Donnie Saunders.

“South Gallia had some nice wins. Greer is a nice player. We put them at the line and they hit their shots and got the lead back. Give them credit.”

The Vikings were making shots from the 3-point line while the Rebels were making shots from the foul line.

The Rebels (10-11) were 26-of-39 from the line while the Vikings were 15-of-26. Crossing the line, the Vikings made 11-of-26 3-pointers to 6-of-18 for the Rebels.

The Vikings had five players in double figures. Tyler Rowe and Ryan Gibson scored 18 points each, Kurt Adams scored 13, Jonathan Kouns had 11 and Dylan Malone added 10.

Gibson hit four 3-pointers and Adams drained three shots from behind the arc.

Brayden Greer scored a game-high 32 points to lead South Gallia. His total included 19-0f-24 from the foul line. Landon Hutchinson added 13 points.

The game featured seven ties and 21 lead changes. South Gallia’s biggest lead was 56-49 with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter and the Vikings biggest lead was 26-20 at the 3:39mark of the second quarter.

The game was tied at 64 with 12.9 seconds left when Gibson put up a 3-pointer from the top of the key that missed and the game went into overtime.

With the Rebels up 72-70 and 2.5 seconds left in overtime, the Vikings missed a 3-pointer from the corner and the Rebels rebounded.

Symmes Valley took a 14-13 first quarter lead as Malone hit a pair of 3-pointers and Kouns scored five points. Greer had six for the Rebels.

Joseph Ehman scored eight points in the second quarter and Devin Lucas had a couple of 3-pointers as South Gallia tied the game at 35. Kurt Adams got the hot hand for the Vikings with eight points including two trifectas. Rowe had seven points in the quarter.

The scoring slowed in the third quarter as the Rebels eased ahead 49-45.

But the Vikings rallied to force the overtime as Gibson hit three triples and scored 10 points while Rowe added five points.

Greer scored 10 points in the quarter including 8-of-10 at the line.

The Rebels were 9-of-14 in the fourth quarter from the line and the Vikings were 6-of-9.

Green had all eight of the Rebels’ points in overtime as he went 6-of-6 at the foul line. Gibson hit a 3-pointer and Kouns had three points.

South Gallia 13 22 14 15 8 = 72

Sym. Valley 14 21 10 19 6 = 70

SOUTH GALLIA (10-11): Landon Hutchinson 4 0 5-8 13, Brayden Greer 5 1 19-24 32, Ethan Spurlock 1 0 0-2 2, Devin Lucas 0 3 0-0 9, Joseph Ehman 1 2 0-3 8, Mikey Wheeler 2 0 0-0 4, Dustin Hornsby 0 0 0-0 0, Gus Slone 1 0 0-0 2, Ethan Swain 0 0 2-2 2. Totals: 20-52 26-39 72. 3-point goals: 6-18. Rebounds: 11-O, 22-D = 33. Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: None.

SYMMES VALLEY (14-8): Dylan Malone 0 2 4-4 10, Collin Webb 0 0 0-0 0, Blake Sells 0 0 0-0 0, Seth Jarrell 0 0 0-0 0, Kurt Adams 1 3 2-3 13, Jonathan Kouns 2 2 1-2 11, Jacob Klaiber 0 0 0-0 0, Tyler Rowe 5 0 8-12 18, Ryan Gibson 3 4 1-5 18. Totals: 22-54 15-26 70. 3-point goals: 11-26. Rebounds: 12-O, 18-D = 30. Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 25. Fouled out: Kouns, Rowe, Malone.