By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Lola Hankins and Emerson White were acting like a WWE tag team.

Hankins and White took turns taking over the game as they combined for 44 points as the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers opened the season with a 71-44 win over the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings on Tuesday.

Hankins scored 23 points and White had 21 points to lead all scorers.  Peyton Deer added 8 points to the winning effort.

Kaitlyn Maynard scorned 18 points and Brenna Tibbs had 17 to pace the Lady Vikings (0-2).

Maynard scored 7 points and Tibbs got 6 points as the Lady Vikings took a 17-14 first quarter lead.

White nailed a triple and had 5 points, Lexi McCall scored 4 points and Hankins added a 3-pointer to keep Ironton close.

The tide turned in the second quarter as Ironton rallied to the a 30-25 halftime lead.

Hankins knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and scored 12 of Ironton’s 16 points in the quarter.

Tibbs got 5 points including 3-of-5 at the foul line.

It was White’s turn to take over the game in the third quarter as she drained four 3-pointers and scored 16 points. Deer scored the other 6 points as Ironton opened up a 52-36 cushion.

Maynard scored 6 points and Lydia Saunders was 3-of-4 at the foul line in the quarter for Symmes Valley.

Hankins hit a trifecta and scored 8 points and Cholie Patterson buried a pair of 3-pointers to account for the Ironton scoring in the fourth quarter.

Tibbs got half of the Lady Vikings 8 points in the quarter.

Sym. Valley    17 8 11 8 = 44

Ironton 14 16 22 19 = 71

SYMMES VALLEY (0-2): Lydia Saunders 1 0 3-4 5, Aly Haydon 0 0 0-2 0, Brenna Tibbs 7 0 3-6 17, Never Holbrook 1 0 0-0 2, Aylissa Anthony 0 0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Maynard 8 0 2-3 18, Natalie Simpson 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 18 0 8-15 44. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.

IRONTON (1-0): Peyton Deer 4 0 0-0 8, Lola Hankins 3 4 5-6 23, Addison Neal 1 0 0-0 2, Lexi McCall 2 0 0-0 4, Ariyah Freeman 0 1 0-0 3, Jolee Hankins 0 0 2-2 2, Addison Murray 1 0 0-0 2, Chloie Patterson 0 2 0-0 6, Emerson White 2 5 2-3 21. Totals: xx. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.