Clay downs Vikings in SOC

Published 3:14 am Wednesday, January 5, 2011

By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

WILLOW WOOD — For one game, the season didn’t matter.

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The Symmes Valley Vikings came into Tuesday’s Southern Ohio Conference game shooting 45 percent from the field.

But the Vikings were just 18 of 61 from the floor for 29 percent in a 61-51 loss to the Portsmouth Clay Panthers.

“They played well and we didn’t. And we didn’t shoot the ball very well,” said Vikings’ coach Jerome Fuller.

“Clay controlled the tempo. They came out in the second half and put us in a hole and we had to change our lineup to try and get back in the game.”

Clay led 11-8 at the end of the first quarter before the Vikings got within 22-20 at the break.

But the Panthers built as much as a 20-point lead in the third quarter before the Vikings closed to within 38-25 at the end of the stanza.

The Vikings outscored the Panthers 26-23 in the fourth quarter, but Clay was 19 of 22 from the line.

Luke Taylor led Symmes Valley with 19 points and nine rebounds. Tyler Wilson had 14 points and two steals.

Clay (3-4, 2-0) was led by Jon Valentine with 15 points. Nathan Burchett scored 13 and Cody Bussler 10.

“You have these types of games and you just have to put them behind you and play well in the next game,” said Fuller.

The Vikings (5-2, 1-1) play at Green Friday in a key SOC game.

Portsmouth Clay 11 11 16 23 = 61

Symmes Valley 8 12 5 26 = 51

PORTSMOUTH CLAY (3-4, 2-0): Chase Hiles 0 0 0-0 0, Jared Ruby 0 0 0-0 0, Cody Bussler 3 1 1-2 10, Eli Kelley 0 0 0-0 0, Eric Adams 0 0 0-0, Cody Delotell 1 0 2-5 4, Jon Valentine 3 0 9-10 15, Chandler King 0 0 0-0 0, Nathan Burchett 3 1 4-4 13, Josh Porter 3 0 2-3 8, Max Graham 4 0 3-4 11. Totals: 17 2 21-28 61. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: Porter.

SYMMES VALLEY (5-2, 1-1): Alec Herrell 0 0 0-0 0, Brad Lemaster 0 1 0-0 3, D.J. Miller 0 1 3-4 6, Corey Brown 2 0 0-0 4, Luke Taylor 5 1 6-9 19, Tyler Wilson 4 2 0-0 14, Josh Craft 0 0 1-4 1, Jacob Patterson 0 0 0-0 0, Ryan Stanley 2 0 0-0 4. Totals: 18-61 10-17 51. Fouls: 23. Fouled out: Taylor. 3-point goals: 5-21. Rebounds: 21 (Taylor 9). Assists: 13 (Craft 3, Stanley 3). Steals: 9 (Wilson 2). Turnovers: 14. Blocked shots: 4 (Taylor 2, Stanley 2).

RESERVES: Symmes Valley 37-31. SV scoring leaders: Austin Baldwin 10, Alec Herrell 8.