Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

LATHAM — My kingdom for a basket.
That may have been the plea of Symmes Valley coach Alvin Carpenter after the Lady Vikings lost 52-50 to the Western Lady Indians in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Monday.
The Lady Vikings (2-1, 1-1) made just 18-of-74 field goal attempts for 24 percent including only 14-of-68 from two-point range for 20.6 percent.
They missed 11 layups and 18 putback shots in that total.
“I don’t think we could have got on a stepladder and climbed up and dropped it in the basket at times,” said Carpenter.
Jensyn Shepherd had 18 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Lady Vikings. Kaitlyn Crabtree finished with 13 points, an amazing 22 rebounds and four steals.
Kylie Tong scored 17 and Mea Henderson 12 for Western.
Crabtree scored six points in the first quarter as the Lady Vikings took an 18-8 lead. Western cut the deficit to 27-19 at the half despite seven points by Shepherd in the second quarter.
With Crabtree on the bench with foul trouble in the third quarter, Tong scored 13 as Western outscored the Lady Vikings 23-11 to take a 42-38. Shepherd had seven more points.
The Lady Vikings outscored Western 12-10 in the fourth quarter but went 0-for-8 at the foul line.
Symmes Valley hosts Portsmouth Notre Dame on Thursday.
Sym. Valley    18    9    11    12    =    50
Western    8    11    23    10    =    52
SYMMES VALLEY (2-1, 1-1): Kaitlyn Crabtree 6 0 1-2 13, Payton Hunter 0 1 0-4 3, Jensyn Shepherd 5 1 5-6 18, Taylor Sells 1 0 0-0 2, Rachael Hayes 1 1 4-8 9, Kaylee Cade 1 1 0-0 5, Hailee Littlejohn 0 0 0-0 0, Emily Johnson 0 0 0-0 0, Emily Gorby 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-74 10-20 50. 3-pt goals: 4-6. Rebounds: 49 (Crabtree 22, Shepherd 11). Assists: 9 (Hayes 5, Hunter 2, Cade 2). Steals: 7 (Crabtree 4, Hunter 3). Blocked shots: 4 (Shepherd 4). Turnovers: 22. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.
WESTERN (NA): Kylie Tong 4 3 0-0 17, Silvia Eucard 3 0 2-4 8, Hayley Whitt 2 0 4-6 8, Katie Miller 1 0 0-0 2, Abby Gait 1 0 1-6 3, Brooklyn Tackett 1 0 0-0 2, Mea Henderson 3 2 0-0 12. Totals: 15 5 7-16 52. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.