By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — Evidently, the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings like to start slow and finish fast.

For the second straight game, the Lady Vikings fell behind in the first quarter and then rallied to win as they held off the Coal Grove Lady Hornets 51-47 in a non-league game on Wednesday.

“It was a disappointing loss. We were playing well and scoring in the first quarter. We had bad scoring in the second quarter and that put us in a hole,” said Lady Hornets’ coach Nick Miller.

‘We came back and took the lead by one with about two minutes to go. But we turned the ball over and they got the lead and we couldn’t get it back.”

Coal Grove took a 14-11 first quarter lead as Alivia Noel scored 8 points including a 3-pointer while Kinsey Keeney hit a trey and Kendall Taylor went 3-of-4 at the foul line.

Desiree Simpson scored 7 points for the Lady Vikings.

The game turned in the second quarter as Symmes Valley outscored Coal Grove 12-5 to take a 23-19 halftime lead

Brenna Tibbs knocked down a trey and scored 7 points while Lydia Saunders got 5 points to account for all of the Lady Vikings scoring in the quarter.

Noel was 3-of-6 at the line and Keeney hit a basket for the Lady Hornets.

Symmes Valley extended the lead to 38-30 as Simpson had a trifecta and scored 7 points.

Jenna Anson scored 5 points while Noel hit a trey and scored 4 points for the Lady Hornets.

Coal Grove rallied in the fourth quarter to get the one-point lead but they couldn’t hold it despite outscoring the Lady Vikings 17-13 only to fall short.

Noel knocked down another 3-pointer as she scored 7 points and Anson added 4 more in the comeback bid.

Kaitlin Maynard scored 6 points in the quarter to help offset the Lady Vikings poor foul shooting. Symmes Valley was just 3-of-11 from the foul line in the quarter.

Both teams struggled at the foul line. The Lady Vikings were 10-0f-21 for the game and Coal Grove just 11-of-27.

Simpson scored 16 points and Saunders 10 to lead the Lady Vikings who placed 7 players in the scoring column.

Noel led the Lady Hornets with a game-high 22 points.

“Alivia Noel played another great game for us. We need some others to step up and help with the scoring,” said Miller. “Simpson had a nice game for Symmes Valley. She’s tough around the basket.”

Coal Grove visits Tolsia, W.Va., on Saturday while Symmes Valley hosts South Point on Saturday, Dec. 9.

Sym. Valley   11 12 15 13 = 51

Coal Grove 14 5 11 17 = 47

SYMMES VALLEY (2-0): Lindsey Freeman 0 0 0-0 0, Lydia Saunders 3 0 4-7 10, Kayley Maynard 1 0 0-2 2, Hailee Beckett 1 0 2-2 4, Jordi Ellison 2 0 0-2 4, Brenna Tibbs 2 1 1-2 8, Desiree Simpson 6 1 2-4 16, Kaycee Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Kaitlin Maynard 3 0 1-1 7, Natalie Simpson 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 2 10-21 51. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: D. Simpson.

COAL GROVE (0-2): Kendall Taylor 0 0 4-8 4, Kinsey Keeney 2 1 1-4 8, Kasey Vanderhoof 0 0 0-0 0, Alivia Noel 4 3 5-13 22, Isabelle Kitts 2 0 0-1 4, Jenna Anson 4 0 1-2 9, Klara Klaiber 0 0 0-0 0, Abbie Deeds 0 0 0-0 0., Totals: 12 4 11-27 47.