Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — There’s a reason the Portsmouth Notre Dame Lady Titans are favored to win the Southern Ohio Conference.
The Lady Titans jumped out to an early big lead and went on to be the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings 51-38 on Wednesday.
Taylor Schmidt scored 14 points, Ava Hassel 7 and Cassie Schaefer 5 as Notre Dame jumped out to a 28-5 lead. Taylor Sells got all of the Lady Vikings’ points.
Schmidt hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points while Hassel had 4 more to give the Lady Titans a 43-13 halftime cushion.
Rachael Hayes hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 of the Lady Vikings 7 points in the quarter.
Notre Dame emptied its bench in the second half and Symmes Valley outscored them 6-5 in the third quarter as Hayes was 4-of-6 at the line.
Hayes scored 10 points to lead the Lady Vikings (1-4, 0-3).
Notre Dame (5-0, 3-0) was led by Schmidt with 21 points and Hassel added 11.
Symmes Valley hosts Sciotoville East on Thursday.
Notre Dame 28 15 5 3 = 51
Sym. Valley 6 7 6 9 = 28
PORTSMOUTH NOTRE DAME (5-0, 3-0): Charlee Lansing 0 0 0-3 0, Taylor Schmidt 7 2 1-2 21, Ava Hassel 4 1 0-0 11, Cassie Schaefer 2 1 0-0 7, Molly Creech 0 0 0-0 0, Olivia Smith 0 0 0-0 0, Annie Dettwiller 0 1 1-2 4, Chloe Delabar 0 0 0-0 0, Claire Dettwiller 2 0 0-2 4, Isabel Cassidy 0 0 2-2 2, Kamryn Bradford 0 0 0-2 0, Madison Brown 0 0 0-0 0, Ashley Holtgrewe 0 0 0-1 0, Lauren Campbell 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 16 5 2-12 51. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.
SYMMES VALLEY (1-4, 0-3): Jenna Malone 1 0 1-4 3, Payton Hunter 1 0 0-1 2, Meredith Humphreys 0 0 0-0 0, Taylor Sells 1 1 0-0 5, Rachael Hayes 1 1 5-8 10, Kaylee Cade 0 0 0-0 0, Lauren Wells 0 0 0-0 0, Kylee Thompson 1 0 0-0 2, Hailee Littlejohn 1 0 2-2 4, Spring Ross 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 7 2 8-15 28. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: Ross.