Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
McARTHUR — Wednesday’s night’s contest between Vinton County and Southeastern featured a complete contrast of playing styles.
The Vikings’ perimeter attack and knack for shooting took on Southeastern’s interior presence and forcing a slower tempo.
And although the Vikings didn’t have the best shooting night, they made shots when it counted the most and got back in the win column with a 59-50 victory in non-conference action.
CREDIT: Donnie Goodson
“This was a huge win, one that we really needed for our confidence,” Vinton County coach Brett Jones said. “We started the season 3-0, but took some tough losses recently so that brought us back down a little bit. But we’ve done a good job of just staying the course and it’s been a while since we’ve had a 5-3 start. So it’s good to be back on the winning side of things.”
The Vikings (5-3) drained 10 triples on the night — nine of which came from the duo of Trinity Williams and Morgan Davis.
Williams had it going early, knocking down four 3’s in the first half before ending the night with 18 points, tying her career high. Davis, who was held scoreless in the first half, connected on five 3’s in the second, finishing with 15 points.
“They both shot the ball really well, and I think they needed a night like tonight. Definitely a huge confidence boost as we continue to progress in the season,” Jones said. “Southeastern was playing a zone defense and because we’re not very tall, it’s hard for us to get the ball inside, and that means we have to shoot the ball well to stretch out the defense. They both deserve a lot of credit for the job they did offensively to carry us.”
Southeastern (3-7) was in full control just after the opening tip. Between Rowan Ruckel and Reese Ruckel, the Panthers shot out to a quick 6-0 lead.
Williams got the Vikings on the board with a deep 3 and connected on another. But Gracie Brown hit two treys of her own before Dylan Skaggs connected as well, pushing the Panthers ahead 19-10 after the first quarter.
As the second quarter unfolded, the Vikings started to see more shots fall. Williams hit from deep and Emma Leaming and Norah Martin scored before Williams splashed her fourth triple of the half, finishing an 11-3 run that brought the Vikings to within 22-21.
By halftime, it was a 27-27 game.
“I was just getting open. We were doing a good job of driving into the lane, and my teammates were finding me on the outside,” WIlliams said. “If the shot wasn’t there, then I’d just drive in and hope to either get fouled or find someone else for the shot.”
Despite losing all of the momentum it had gained going into halftime, Southeastern opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run behind Brown, Rowan Ruckel and Ally Fisher to take a 34-27 advantage.
However, that’s when Davis began to take over.
She drilled a pair of triples, alongside a bucket from Leaming, to complete an 8-0 run and give VC a 35-34 lead. Davis hit two more triples in the frame, completing a 14-1 run that pushed VC’s lead to 41-35, before the quarter ended with the Vikings up 46-38.
“Going into halftime, I felt like I wasn’t really playing my best so that was the time I used to refocus and get my head on straight,” Davis said. “Once we were driving, I could just be open and have a clear shot. My defense got a lot better in the second half as well, and I shot with confidence.”
With the Panthers’ defense no longer sitting in a zone, the Vikings were able to get inside and Williams cut to the basket for two more buckets before Davis connected on her fifth trey of the night.
From that moment on, momentum never left Vinton County’s bench and the Vikings closed out the victory, moving to 5-3 on the season.
“We got down early in the first and we went completely away from our zone defense since it wasn’t working out for us,” Jones said. “Every girl who took the floor had a huge role in the game. Caryssa Brisker and Ali Murphy off the bench played fantastic, giving us some good minutes and using their physicality. Norah Martin brought some necessary speed to the floor and Gwen Davidson made an impact in the five minutes she played. This was an all-around team victory.”
Alongside Williams and Davis’ totals, Leaming also helped out, finishing with 11 points and four rebounds.
For Southeastern, Rowan Ruckel finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Brown had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, and Reese Ruckel added nine points and 13 boards.
Vinton County returns to action on Monday at home for non-conference action against Chillicothe. Southeastern hosts Manchester on Saturday.
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