Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

BEAVER — The Eastern Eagles lit it up and that meant lights out for the Symmes Valley Vikings.

Eastern put on a shooting display including 11 of 25 from the 3-point range as the Eagles beat the Vikings 81-67 Tuesday in a Southern Ohio Conference I game.

“They shot the lights out. We played well. If we play anyone else on our schedule tonight we win. But not tonight,” said Vikings’ coach Donnie Saunders.

“They let it fly and it was like there was a magnet to the basket. They were just ready.”

Eastern is now 13-2 overall and continues to lead the league at 9-1. Symmes Valley falls to 9-6 and 7-3.

Tavares Pickett scored 24 points and Chad Lands 22 points including four 3-pointers as four Eagles hit double figures. Colton Lightle scored 14 points and Josh Thacker 12.

Tyler Rowe and Clayton Tony scored 21 points each to lead the Vikings. D.J. Miller and Austin Baldwin had 10 points each.

Lightle and Pickett scored 8 points each as Eastern took a 19-13 first quarter lead. Baldwin and Tony combined for 11 points.

Lands had 9 points and Pickett 7 points and Eastern built a 44-27 halftime lead.

Rowe scored 11 points and Tony hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter as the Vikings cut the deficit to 59-51.

But Pickett, Lightle and Lands combined for 18 points in the fourth quarter as Eastern began to pull away.

“We spend so much energy trying to get back in the game it wore us down,” said Saunders.

The Vikings hosts New Boston on Friday and visit Green on Saturday in league games.

Sym. Valley 13 14 24 16 = 67

Eastern 19 25 15 22 = 81

SYMMES VALLEY (9-6, 7-3): Alec Herrell 1 0 0-0 2, Zane Wheeler 0 0 0-0 0, Dylan Pelletier 0 0 0-0 0, D.J. Miller 1 1 5-6 10, Jacob Graybeal 0 0 0-0 0, Austin Baldwin 5 0 0-0 10, Clayton Tony 2 4 5-5 21, Dylan Malone 1 0 1-2 3, Tyler Rowe 9 0 3-4 21. Totals: 19 5 14-17 67. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.

BEAVER EASTERN (13-2, 9-1): Colton Lightle 2 3 1-2 14, Justin Fultz 1 1 0-0 5, Chad Lands 5 4 0-0 22, Tavares Pickett 10 1 1-1 24, Josh Thacker 3 2 0-2 12, Matt Dyke 1 0 0-1 2, Brandon Murphy 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 23 11 2-6 81. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.