Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

SCIOTOVILLE — As Ringo Starr once sang, “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends,” so did the St. Joseph Lady Flyers on Wednesday night.
For most of the season, it’s been Bella Whaley scores the points and Bella Whaley grabs the rebounds. But now that the Lady Flyers are back as a whole team and healthy, Bella Whaley is getting some help.
Whaley still had 13 pints and 11 rebounds, but Emma Whaley scored 14 points, Gracie Damron ripped down 13 rebounds and Riley Daniels had 12 points including a pair of 3-point goals in a 68-26 Southern Ohio Conference win over the Sciotoville East Lady Tartans.
Emilee Blankenship had a strong game defensively and on the boards with 7 rebounds and Chloe Sheridan played clamp-down defense and grabbed 5 rebounds.
Lady Flyers’ coach Bart Burcham is hopeful that the game was signs of good things to come.
“Riley can score. The more confidence she gets, the better she’ll get. Two of the last three games Gracie has played stronger. I’m hoping things are starting to click for her,” said Burcham.
“Emma got back in the swing of things and made a lot of stuff happen everywhere on both ends of the court. Bella was Bella. She’s a double-double machine. Chloe did a great on their main scorer. Her and Emilee have been get five or more rebounds a game now, too.”
Grace Smith scored 10 points for East (0-8, 0-6).
Emma Whaley had 4 points as St. Joseph took a 10-5 first quarter lead.
The Lady Flyers’ offense began to heat up in the second quarter as they outscored East 23-10 and it was 33-15 at the break.
Daniels scored 10 of her points in the quarter including two bombs from behind the arc. Bella Whaley hit a trifecta and scored 5 points while Sheridan and Damron had 4 points each.
Damron took over in the third quarter as she scored 8 points and the lead grew to 53-20.
St. Joseph (2-7, 2-4) outscored East 15-6 as Emma Whaley and Ava Weber scored 4 points each while Bella Whaley, Daniels and Laiken “The Enforcer” Unger scored 2 each.
St. Joseph host Rose Hill at 3 p.m. Saturday.
St. Joseph 10 23 20 15 = 68
Sciotoville 5 10 5 6 = 26
ST. JOSEPH (2-7, 2-4): Emma Whaley 6 0 2-2 14, Bella Whaley 4 1 2-2 13, Emilee Blankenship 1 0 0-0 2, Chloe Sheridan 3 0 0-0 6, Gracie Damron 7 0 1-4 15, Laiken Unger 1 0 0-0 2, Ava Weber 2 0 0-0 4, Addie Philbaun 0 0 0-0 0, Riley Daniels 3 2 0-0 12. Totals: 27 3 5-8 68. Rebounds: 47 (Damron 13, B. Whaley 11, Blankenship 7, Sheridan 5, Weber 4, Daniels 3, Unger 2, E. Whaley 2, Philabaun 1). Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.
SCIOTOVILLE EAST (0-8, 0-6): Peyton Johnson 1 0 1-2 3, Savannah Dingess 2 0 1-4 5, Kat Robinson 0 0 0-0 0, Felicia Smith 2 0 0-0 4, Grace Smith 2 1 3-7 10, Kaci Conley 0 0 0-0 0 Mia Caldwell 2 0 0-1 4. Totals: 9 1 5-13 26. Fouls: 5. Fouled out: None.