By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

WILLOW WOOD — Call Paul Bunyon. We have a logjam.

The top of the Southern Ohio Conference Division I standings got very crowded as the Symmes Valley Vikings beat the Green Bobcats 60-52 Tuesday.

The Vikings and Bobcats join Clay and Eastern with two losses each in the league.

“It was the kind of game you would expect. It was a game where everyone was fighting to be in first place,” said Vikings’ coach Jerome Fuller.

Symmes Valley is now 12-3 overall and 7-2 in the SOC. Green falls to 9-4 and 8-2.

Luke Taylor had 21 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Vikings who had four players in double figures. Josh Craft scored 13, Tyler Wilson 12 and Jacob Patterson 10.

Pat Pierce led Green with 20 points while T.J. McCloud scored 13 and Cody Bruce 12.

McCloud had eight rebounds and Bruce seven. Tyler Hughes had eight assists and five steals for the Bobcats.

Patterson scored six points in the first quarter as the Vikings took a 16-14 lead. Taylor had seven in the second quarter and the Vikings pulled away to a 34-23 lead at the half.

Pierce hit a pair of 3-points and McCloud scored five points in the third quarter as Green outscored the Vikings 19-6 to give the Bobcats a 42-40 lead.

But in the fourth quarter, Wilson scored 10 points including a pair of free throws and Craft was 4 for 4 from the line to clinch the win.

Pierce scored eight of Green’s 10 points in the fourth quarter.

“We played really well for three quarters. The third quarter we got out of rhythm, but we got it back together for the fourth quarter,” said Fuller.

Green goes to Portsmouth Notre Dame Friday while the Vikings visit Eastern in a key SOC game.

Green 14 9 19 10 = 52

Symmes Valley 16 18 6 20 = 60

GREEN (9-4, 8-2): Tyler Hughes 3 0 0-0 6, Pat Pierce 4 3 3-4 20, Cody Bruce 5 0 2-4 12, T.J. McCloud 5 1 0-4 13, Chad Lewis 0 0 0-0 0, Tyler Crace 0 0 1-2 1. Totals: 21-60 6-14 52. Fouls: 13. None. 3-point goals: 4-10. Rebounds: 26 (McCloud 8, Bruce 7). Assists: 12 (Hughes 8). Steals: 9 (Hughes 5). Turnovers: 13.

SYMMES VALLEY (12-3, 7-2): D.J. Miller 2 0 0-0 4, Corey Brown 0 0 0-0 0, Luke Taylor 10 0 1-3 21, Tyler Wilson 5 0 2-2 12, Josh Craft 3 1 4-5 13, Jacob Patterson 4 0 2-2 10, Ryan Stanley 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 25-59 9-12 60. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None. 3-point goals: 1-9. Rebounds: 32 (Taylor 13, Wilson 8). Assists: 13 (Miller 3, Stanley 3). Steals: 7 (Miller 3). Turnovers: 13. Blocked shots: 3 (Patterson 3).

RESERVES: Symmes Valley 57-24. SV scoring leader: Tyler Rowe 17.