Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTRORVILLE — The Symmes Valley Lady Vikings don’t want any more vacation time.
A 10-day layoff left the Lady Vikings sluggish to begin Saturday’s Tri-State Hoops Throwdown game, but they came to life and beat the Wellston Lady Golden Rockers 66-52.
“We were a little rusty at first and it showed. Once we got going we were all right,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Alvin Carpenter.
Jensyn Shephard scored 21 points to lead the Lady Vikings (10-4). Payton Walsh scored 15 points as eight different players scored.
The Lady Vikings were 24-of-60 from the field for 40 percent. They hauled down 54 rebounds with Shepherd grabbing 13, Walsh 12 and Sierra Ross 11.
Walsh also had six assists, five steals and three blocked shots. Kassie Baldwin had five assists and Ross had six assists and four steals.
Sydney Mullins scored 21 points and Tory Doles 13 for Wellston (5-9).
Walsh had nine points in the first quarter to offset seven by Mullins as the Lady Vikings took a 15-9 lead.
Symmes Valley went up 30-18 at the half and Shepherd scored 12 points in the third quarter as the Lady Vikings opened up a 52-33 lead.
The Lady Vikings led by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter before Mullins hit three 3-pointers and Doles hit two more against the Lady Vikings’ reserves.
But Taylor Sells scored six points for the Lady Vikings to preserve the lead.
The Lady Vikings host Portsmouth Notre Dame on Thursday and Portsmouth Clay next Saturday in Southern Ohio Conference games.
Wellston    9    9    15    19    =    52
Sym, Valey    15    15    22    14    =    66
WELLSTON (5-9): Tory Doles 2 3 0-0 13, Kaylee Taynor 0 2 0-0 6, Jasmyn Wilson 1 0 0-2 2, Hannah Sowers 0 0 2-4 2, Mya Bouska 1 0 0-0 2, Emily Kisor 1 0 4-4 6, Sydney Mullins 3 4 3-6 21. Totals: 8 9 5-16 52. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.
SYMMES VALLEY (10-4, 6-2): Kinsey Kazee 2 0 0-0 4, Jensyn Shepherd 7 0 7-10 21, Chelsye Napier 2 0 2-2 6, Sierra Ross 2 0 2-4 6, Rachael Hayes 0 2 0-0 6, Kinszi Kitts 0 0 0-2 0, Kassie Baldwin 1 0 0-0 2, Payton Walsh 1 4 1-2 15, Taylor Sells 3 0 0-1 6, Hailee Littlejohn 0 0 0-0 0, Kaylee Cade 0 0 0-0 0, Payton Hunter 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-60 12-21 66. 3-point goals: 6-18. Rebounds: 54 (Shepherd 13, Walsh 12, Ross 11). Assists: 21 (Ross 6, Walsh 6, Baldwin 5). Steal: 12 (Walsh 5, Ross 4). Blocked shots: 6 (Walsh 3, Shepherd 3). Turnovers: 17. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.