Vinton County can’t keep up with River Valley, fall at home

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MCARTHUR, Ohio (WOUB) – The mantra all week for Vinton County (11-7, 4-5 TVC-Ohio) was to match the energy, but they fell short against a tireless River Valley (14-5, 6-3 TVC-Ohio) team. The Vikings battled, but ultimately dropped the conference matchup to the Raiders, 61-48. 

Vinton County was overwhelmed by River Valley’s full-court press out of the gate, quickly falling behind 23-6 after the first quarter. The Raiders defense controlled the entire period, allowing their offense to convert easy transition points. Vinton County’s offense saw only two shots fall from the floor in the first quarter. 

The Vikings offense struggled into a 36-18 halftime score, as it just couldn’t keep up with the opportune possessions from the Raiders. Two field goals from Ali Murphy along with a three-pointer each from Caryssa Brisker and Norah Martin helped Vinton County settle in, but River Valley continued to get everyone involved to grow its lead. 

Into the second half, Vinton County was able to adjust to the press well. They began to break the press nearly every possession, and Norah Martin came off the bench to spark some fight into the team. Just as the Vikings got going however, River Valley senior Kallie Burger took over the Raiders offense. Pouring in 11 points in the third quarter alone, Burger led River Valley into the fourth quarter with a 53-31 advantage.

In the final eight minutes, Martin continued to lead the Vikings and keep the score respectable. She contributed five points in the fourth and teammate Emma Leaming had seven. Yet, the tandem was no match for River Valley’s Burger, as she added another six points for the Raiders as they cruised to a victory. 

River Valley moves on from this matchup to host the Huntington Huntsmen. Vinton County has a week off, but the Vikings look ahead to four games next week, starting with the TVC-Ohio leader Athens.