Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

WILLOW WOOD — When you commit 27 fouls and have three starters foul out, it’s a good bet your team lost the game.

Not so with the resilient Symmes Valley Lady Vikings who continue to use a total team effort to get wins including a 54-47 victory over the Portsmouth Clay Lady Panthers on Thursday in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

“It was one of the strangest games I’ve been involved with as a coach,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Alvin Carpenter.

“We had the lead, we got in foul trouble and lost the lead, got in more foul trouble and still ended up winning the game. I’m just glad we came out of it with a win.”

Kaitlyn Payne had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Vikings (13-8, 11-3) in their regular season finale.

Breanna Brumfield had 13 points and four steals, Caitlyn Crabtree got 10 rebounds and Jensyn Shepherd grabbed eight boards.

The Lady Vikings were 21-of-60 from the field for 35 percent but 6-of-8 from behind the 3-pointer line for 75 percent.

Jensen Warnock led Clay (7-15, 6-8) with 20 points including 10-of-20 from the foul line. Cam Delotel scored 16.

Brumfield scored nine points in the first quarter as Symmes Vlaley took a 22-5 lead.

But Sierra Ross, Payton Walsh, Shepherd and Brumfield all went to the bench in the second quarter with foul trouble and Warnock took advantage by scoring eight points as Clay trailed 29-24 at the half.

Delotel got eight points in the third quarter and Clay rallied to take a 38-37 lead as the Lady Vikings were hampered by more foul trouble.

But Payne had 13 of her points in the fourth quarter as Symmes Valley staged its own comeback with an 8-0 run and outscored to get the win.

Symmes Valley plays Southern at 8 p.m. on Thursday at Meigs High School in the Division IV sectional tournament.

Ports. Clay 5 19 14 9 = 47

Sym. Valley 22 7 8 17 = 54

PORTSMOUTH CLAY (7-15, 6-8): Hunnter Adams 0 0 2-3 2, LaCyra Craig 0 0 0-1 0, Lila Brown 0 2 0-0 6, Sophia Balestra 1 0 1-4 3, Cam Delotel 2 3 3-4 16, Jensen Warnock 5 0 10-20 20, Skylar Artis 0 0 0-0 0, Regan Osborn 0 0 0-0 0, Totals 8 5 16-32 47. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: None.

SYMMES VALLEY (13-8, 11-3): Caitlyn Crabtree 1 0 0-2 2, Sierra Ross 0 0 1-2 1, Breanna Brumfield 2 3 0-3 13, Jensyn Shepherd 3 0 1-3 7, Meranda Hayes 4 0 0-1 8, Kaitlyn Payne 3 3 2-5 17, Ericca Ross 0 0 0-2 0, Kassie Baldwin 0 0 0-1 0, Payton Walsh 2 0 2-4 6, Kendra Kazee 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-60 6-23 54. 3-point goals: 6-8.Rebounds: 48 (Payne 12, Crabtree 10, Shepherd 8). Assists: 12 (Brumfield 4, Baldwin 3, Payne 3). Steals: 16 (Hayes 5, Brumfield 4, Ross 4). Blocks: 4 (Crabtree 3, Shepherd 1). Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 27. Fouled out: Walsh, S. Ross, Shepherd.