Sports
Vinton County Pulls Away Late Against River Valley
By: Jackson Schroeder, Matthew Stephens
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River Valley’s zone defense puzzled the Lady Vikings throughout the first three quarters, until Jalen Hale and Michaela Puckett began boxing out and finding their way to the basket. The duo’s performance allowed Vinton County to pull away and secure a 57-50 victory over the Lady Raiders.
The Lady Vikings also relied heavily on forcing turnovers and stealing the ball. River Valley turned the ball over 27 times throughout the game, and Vinton County earned 16 steals on the night.
“We take pride in being the toughest team in the league,” coach Rod Bentley said.
Puckett finished the night with 17 points, two rebounds and four steals. Hale contributed 18 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
A strong first half performance for River Valley was silenced as Vinton County began to connect shots and rebound in the second half. The Lady Raiders’ zone defense held Vinton County to 0 for 8 shooting from behind the arc and 10 for 27 field goal shooting in the first half. River Valley also rebounded well, out rebounding Vinton County 18 to 9.
Leia Moore and Tianna Qualls performed well for River Valley. Moore finished with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Qualls snagged 14 points and six rebounds.