Hardwood Heroes Sports
Vinton County Vikings Clinch Third Straight Conference Title With Decisive Win
By: Nick Henthorn
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McARTHUR, Ohio- Senior night serves a purpose above winning a basketball game. It is a commendation of teammates who have dedicated their time and energy in high school to a basketball program, and a celebration of the players and people that they have become over that time. In those moments, from the time the seniors are announced in the starting lineup to the last time they check out, the action on the floor comes secondary in some ways.
That being said, a basketball game was played Thursday, between the Vinton County Lady Vikings and Wellston Lady Rockets, and it didn’t take long before all doubt was removed as to who would leave victorious. Vinton County sent their seniors off in style, winning this one 70-17 on their senior night.
The Lady Vikings got off to a hot start, dominating the glass, shooting from three early and often, and befuddling Wellston on defense. Vinton County threw an occasional full-court press at Wellston, but their half-court defense was the star for them tonight. Precise rotations, defenders helping each other and then helping the helper, and impressive lateral movement from their guards set the tone for a 26-3 lead after the first quarter.
Vinton County may have been launching triples with reckless abandon, but they struggled to convert at an efficient clip. The Lady Vikings hoisted up 44 three-pointers, but only made 22% of them. However, thanks to the volume of attempts, that still resulted in 10 makes, with Lacie Williams leading the way in that regard, as she made three long balls. She would finish Thursday’s contest with 12 points.
Williams finished with 12, but it was Morgan Bentley who led the team in scoring with 17, while also grabbing 12 rebounds. Vinton County’s strong offensive night belonged to the whole team, not any one player, as every Lady Viking who saw the floor scored at least five points.
Other notable performers for Vinton County included Cameron Zinn, who earned a well-rounded stat line of 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and four steals, and Josie Ousley, who led the team in assists with four while leaving the game without a single turnover.
The Lady Vikings only had five turnovers as a whole, while defensively, they forced plenty of TO’s, totaling 13 steals.
As Vinton County graduated Emily Kite, Abriana McManis, and Ousley, they also clinched their third straight conference title, and are surely hoping to carry their momentum into the remainder of the season.