Defense, Skeens help Lady Pirates move on to district semis

WHEELERSBURG — Looks like Captain Jack Sparrow got the best of Indiana Jones.

In a battle between the Pirates as the Raiders, it was the Wheelersburg Lady Pirates who beat the River Valley Lady Raiders 58-32 in the Division 5 district tournament on Wednesday.

The Lady Pirates (4-8) used a strong defense led by the play of Myles Bailey as they held River Valley’s offense to just 18 points through three quarters.

Wheelersburg took a 16-3 first quarter lead as Peyton May scored 6 points and Lainey Skeenes hit a 3-pointer and got 5 points.

The Lady Pirates extended the lead to 33-10 at the half as five different players scored.

Ava Artrip hit a trifecta and scored 7 points as the lead grew to 44-18 in the third quarter.

Hayley Edwards had 8 points including a pair of 3-pointers to account for all of River Valley’s scoring in the quarter.

Skeenes had 15 points with Artrip adding 9 and Callie DeHart 8 to pace the Lady Pirates’ offense.

Edwards scored 14 and Kaylin Burger 10 for River Valley.

Wheelersburg will now play Piketon at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Waverly Downtown Arena in the district semifinals.

River Valley 3 7 8 14 = 32

Wheelersburg 16 17 11 14 = 58

RIVER VALLEY (10-11): Laella Mullins 1 1 0-0 5, Kyler Clark 0 0 0-0 0, Peyton Keeton 0 0 0-2 0, Hayley Edwards 2 3 1-2 14, Allison Browning 0 0 0-2 0, Zoey Mount 0 1 0-0 3, Woota O’Bryan 0 0 0-0 0, Kaylin Burger 1 1 4-5 10, Bailey Dodson 0 0 0-2 0. Totals: 4 6 6-15 32. Fouls: 6. Fouled out: None

WHEELERSBURG (14-8): Callie DeHart 1 2 0-0 8, Jaidyn Tilley 1 0 0-0 2, Ava Artrip 1 1 4-4 9, Chloe Augustin 0 0 0-0 0, Clara Watkins 1 0 0-0 2, Myles Bailey 1 0 0-0 2, Lainey Skeenes 3 3 0-0 15, Makenzie Mullens 1 0 0-0 2, Lexi Hickman 0 0 0-0 0, Peyton Ward 0 0 0-0 0, Haley Little 0 0 0-0 0, Jaylin Prather 2 1 0-0 7, Peyton May 4 0 3-4 11. Totals: 15 7 7-8 58. Fouls; 13. Fouled out: None.