SCIOTOVILLE -- It just wasn't the Green Bobcats day.

Struggling in the small East gym, the Bobcats lost 71-64 to the Tartans in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

Green shot 25 of 61 from the field for 41 percent, but the Bobcats were only 3 of 14 in the second quarter when East took control of the game.

Conversely, East made 21 of 36 shots for 67 percent.

"We didn't play as well as we would have liked to, but East had something to do with that. We didn't shoot the ball as well as we'd liked to, and we didn't get as many turnovers as we would have liked to," Green coach Kevin Lewis said.

"When you go on the road, you have to play well and we didn't do it. We have to get some momentum back ."

Getting momentum back in the league race will be a priority. Green was coming off a win at Symmes Valley that left the two teams tied for first place. But the loss enabled East to climb back in the race.

East is now 11-5 overall and 9-3 in the SOC. Green falls to 10-3 and 8-2 in the league. Symmes Valley now leads the league with a 9-1 record, but the Vikings must still play East and Green.

Ben Dyer had 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Bobcats. Aaron Patten scored 20 points while Timmy Yarnell had 16 points and nine rebounds.

Dan Downing scored 20 points, Josh Hoskins 18, and J. D. King 16 to pace East.

Patten scored 8 points in the first quarter as Green went ahead 14-13.

But then came the drought.

Patten hit a shot with 4:20 left in the half that got Green within 23-22, but the Bobcats didn't score against until Yarnell's basket with 5:04 left in the third quarter.

East went on a 17-0 run during the stretch to take a 39-23 lead and extended its margin to 53-37 after three quarters.

Dyer came to life with 19 points in the fourth quarter including three 3-pointers. But East converted 14 of 23 free throws in the final quarter to seal the victory.

"Our press was ineffective the first half. We didn't seem as quick as we normally show. As the game went on, our press began to force some turnovers. We just had too much ground to make up," Lewis said.

Green1481527--64

Prts. East13211918--71

GREEN (10-3, 8-2):

Timmy Yarnell 7

0

2-4

16, Ben Dyer 4

4

4-7

24, Aaron Patten 6

2

2-2

20, Adam Sparks 1

0

0-0

2, Ryan Bloomfield 1

0

0-0

2, Adam Bradley 0

0

0-0

0, Derek Lewis 0

0

0-0

0, Kenny Elrod 0

0

0-0

0. Totals: 25-61

(6-25)

8-13

64. Fouls: 26. Fouled out: Bloomfield, Sparks, Lewis. Rebounds: 23 (Yarnell 9, Dyer 7). Turnovers: 9. Assists: 8 (Dyer 4).

SCIOTOVILLE EAST (11-5, 9-3):

Dan Downing 5

2

4-7

20, Brent Enz 1

0

3-7

5, Josh Hoskins 7

0

4-6

18, Matt Allard 2

0

2-2

6, Travis Riggs 2

0

2-4

6, J. D. King 4 1

5-10 16. Totals: 21

3

20-36

71. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: Enz. Rebounds: 35 (Enz 11, Hoskins 10).