CROWN CITY – The Symmes Valley Vikings took their best shot. The South Gallia Rebels took free shots.

Even though the Vikings shot 58 percent from the field, it wasn’t enough to overcome outstanding foul shooting by the Rebels who took a 70-63 win Tuesday in Symmes Valley’s season opener.

&uot;When you shoot 58 percent, you expect to be in every game and probably win,&uot; Vikings coach Alvin Carpenter said. &uot;But we kept putting them at the foul line and to their credit they knocked them down.&uot;

Symmes Valley, 0-1, was 25 of 43 from the field but couldn’t match the deadly foul shooting of the Rebels who were 28 of 33 from the charity stripe.

Actually, Carpenter said the key to the game was South Gallia’s veteran lineup versus the young Vikings team that has only two players with any varsity experience.

&uot;They’ve got four or five really experienced guards and we have a couple of sophomores. That hurt us some,&uot; Carpenter said.

Michael Humphrey scored nine points in the first quarter as the Vikings took a 20-13 lead.

But Humphrey went to the bench in the second as South Gallia outscored the VIkings 23-11 to take a 36-31 halftime lead.

Matt Owens scored nine points in the third quarter but the Vikings found themselves behind 49-42.

Kyle Meadows scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as he tried to rally the Vikings, but Josh Wright and Kurt Waugh each made 6-of-8 from the foul line down the stretch.

South Gallia was 21-of-24 from the line in the second half.

Meadows scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Vikings. Humphrey had 17 points and nine rebounds while Owens added 13 points and three steals. Tyler Smith handed out eight assists.

Wright scored 19 points, Waugh 18 and Dustin McComb 17 for the unbeaten Rebels (3-0). The Vikings play at New Boston Friday in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

Sym. Valley20111121=63

South Gallia13231321=70

SYMMES VALLEY (0-1): Kirt Shipley 3 1 0-3 9, Seth Saunders 1 0 0-0 2, Kyle Meadows 8 0 6-9 22, Matt Owens 2 2 3-4 13, Michael Humphrey

0 1-1 17, Tyler Smith 0 0 0-0 0, Jacob Johnson 0 0 0-0 0, Alex Burnett 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 25-43

(3-9)

10-17

63. Fouls: 26. Fouled out: Smith, Shipley, Saunders, Humphrey. Turnovers: 24. Assists: 13 (Smith 8). Steals: 11 (Owens 3, Meadows 3). Rebounds: 31 (Meadows 11, Humphrey 9).

SOUTH GALLIA (3-0):

Tyler Porter 0 0 4-4, Dustin McComb 7 1 0-0 17, Josh Wright 3 1 10-12 19, Bernie Fulks 1 0 6-6 8, Kurt Waugh 6 0 6-9 18, Josh Skidman 1 0 2-2 4, Travis McCarty 0 0 0-0 0, Robert Coury 0 0 0-0 0, Stevan Call 0 0 0-0 0, Michael Pope 0 0 0-0 0, Derek Beaver 0 0 0-0 0, Dewey Cantrell 0 0 0-0 0, Seth Williamson 0 0 0-0 0,Justin Triplett 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-53

(2-20)

28-33

70. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: McComb. Rebounds: 24 (Waugh 10).. Steals: 19 (Waugh 5). Turnovers: 18. Assists: 13 (Waugh 5).