Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PORTSMOUTH — It’s beginning to sound like a broken record. And it’s more like an album as bad as Kevin Federline’s “Playing With Fire.”

The Symmes Valley Vikings suffered another tough loss on Friday as they fell 46-45 to the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

The Vikings recently lost to Eastern in overtime and by two points to Western. Friday was another bitter pill to swallow.

“I was so proud of them. I told them to keep playing. You’re going to get rewarded somewhere,” said Vikings’ coach Donnie Saunders. “We did an awful good job, we just couldn’t finish.”

Payton Hayes made a layup off an inbounds pass to put the Vikings up 45-44, but Hattachai Buttayotee scored with two seconds left as the Titans rallied for the win.

“Notre Dame is a solid team. You have to beat them. They are like Western. They won’t beat themselves. Our defense was good tonight. We’ve got to come up with some more offense,” said Saunders.

Buttayotee scored 22 points and Trevon Turner 12 to lead the Titans (15-4, 9-3).

Jarod Sheppard had 15 points and Hayes 13 to pace the Vikings (7-12, 4-9).

Hayes hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter as five players scored to give the Vikings a 15-10 lead.

Sheppard scored six points in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 25-21 halftime lead. Buttayotee and Sam Kayser combined for all 11 of the Titans’ points in the second quarter.

Symmes Valley extended the lead to 35-29 after three quarters as Hayes and Sheppard each hit 3-pointers.

Turner and Buttayotee had 4 points each to account for Notre Dame’s scoring.

But then came the fourth quarter as Turner and Buttayotee scored six points each to trigger the comeback.

The Vikings will host South Gallia on Wednesday and Sciotoville East on Friday.

Sym. Valley 15 10 10 10 = 45

Notre Dame 10 11 8 17 = 46

SYMMES VALLEY (7-12, 4-9): Levi Cade 0 0 0-0 0, Chayden Renfroe 1 0 0-0 2, Collin Webb 2 0 0-0 4, Shawn Belville 3 0 2-4 8, Payton Hayes 2 3 0-0 13, Derrek Smith 0 1 0-0 3, Jarod Sheppard 6 1 0-2 15. Totals: 14 5 2-6 45. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.

PORTSMOUTH NOTRE DAME (15-4, 9-3): Isaiah Johnson 2 0 1-4 5, Sam Kayser 1 1 0-0 5, Trevon Turner 5 0 2-2 12, Chase Rodriquez 0 0 0-0 0, Aaron Bazler 0 0 0-0 0, Hattachai Buttayotee 11 0 0-0 22, Grant Sparks 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 20 1 3-6 46. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.