Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — If this was a cook book recipe, you would tear it out and throw it away.
The Symmes Valley Lady Vikings shot 28 percent from the field and only 9-of-16 form the foul line on Monday Add those figures to 27 turnovers and you have a recipe that’s bad for any basketball team.
It was a recipe that left a bad taste in the Lady Vikings’ mouths as they dropped their season opener 50-40 to the South Gallia Lady Rebels in the season opener.
“We didn’t shoot well and we had too many turnovers. That’s a couple of bad things you don’t want to have together,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Shannon Pierce.
Rachael Hayes led all scorers with 19 points for the Lady Vikings. She also had four assists.
Jenna Malone had 12 rebounds and Payton Hunter came away with eight steals for the Lady Vikings.
Amaya Howell scored 18 points and Jessie Rutt 10 for South Gallia.
The Lady Rebels took a 10-7 first quarter lead as Howell scored six points including a 3-pointer.
Hayes and Taylor Sells each hit 3-pointers and Hayes scored 5 points in the quarter as the Lady Vikings got within 20-19 at the half.
Howell had 7 points and Rutt 5 as the Lady Rebels increased their lead to 34-29 after three quarters. Hayes had 6 points and Spring Ross 4 to account for the Symmes Valley scoring.
South Gallia was 8-of-15 from the foul line in the fourth quarter as Christine Griffith scored all 7 of her points as the Lady Rebels began to pull away.
Hayes had 5 points including another 3-pointer but the Lady Vikings were 4-of-10 at the foul line.
The Lady Vikings host Wellston on Tuesday.
South Gallia 10 10 14 16 = 50
Sym. Valley 7 12 10 11 = 40
SOUTH GALLIA (1-0): Alyssa Cremeans 1 0 0-0 2, Amaya Howell 4 2 4-6 18, Kiley Stapleton 1 1 3-6 8, Jessie Rutt 3 0 4-4 10, Jaslyn Bowers 0 0 0-0 0, Makayla Waugh 2 0 1-1 5, Christine Griffith 2 0 3-8 7. Totals: 13 3 15-30 50. Fouls: 14 Fouled out: None.
SYMMES VALLEY (0-1): Jenna Malone 1 0 5-10 7, Payton Hunter 0 0 0-0 0, Meredith Humphreys 0 0 0-0 0, Taylor Sells 1 1 0-0 5, Rachael Hayes 5 2 3-4 19, Kaylee Cade 0 0 1-2 1, Lauren Wells 1 0 0-0 2, Kylee Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Hailee Littlejohn 0 0 0-0 0, Spring Ross 3 0 0-0 6. Totals: 14-50 9-16 40. 3-pt goals: 3-12. Rebounds: 14-O, 19-D = 33 (Malone 12, Hunter 7, Sells 6). Assists: 13 (Hayes 4, Malone 3. Steals: 10 (Hunter 8). Turnovers: 27. Blocks: 7 (Malone 3). Fouls: 19. Fouled out: None.