Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Clay Panthers stayed as far away from the basket as they could, but they still managed to find it.

The Panthers drained 11 3-point goals en route to a 77-49 Southern Ohio Conference win on Friday over the Symmes Valley Vikings.

“They shot the eyes out of it. We were in man-to-man defense. It was just their night,” said Vikings’ coach Donnie Saunders. “But we didn’t play with the fire we did against Oak Hill.”

Nate Hinze scored 24 points and Cole Gilliland 18 as each made four 3-point goals to lead Clay (2-1, 1-0).

Shawn Belville scored 11 points and Jacob Klaiber 10 to lead the Vikings (0-2, 0-1).

Clay took a 21-6 first quarter lead. The Vikings started to rally in the second quarter, but Hinze scored 13 points and Gilliland 9 more as the Panthers pulled away to a 43-19 halftime lead.

Hinze and Gilliland had three triples each in the second quarter surge.

“We tried to make a comeback and they just knocked it down. We were there, they just shot well,” said Saunders.

Clay extended the lead to 63-33 after three quarters.

The Vikings hosts Rock Hill on Saturday.

Sym. Valley 6 13 14 16 = 49

Ports. Clay 21 22 20 14 = 77

SYMMES VALLEY (0-2, 0-1): Levi Cade 0 0 0-0 0, Josh Dial 3 0 0-0 6, Collin Webb 3 1 0-2 9, Shawn Belville 3 1 2-2 11, Blake Sells 0 1 0-0 3, Payton Hayes 0 0 0-0 0, Devin Eplin 0 0 0-0 0, Eric Baldwin 0 1 1-2 4, Jase Patterson 0 0 0-0 0, Jacob Klaiber 3 0 4-8 10, Matt Rutt 2 0 0-0 4, Jarod Sheppard 1 0 0-1 2, Chayden Renfroe 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 4 7-15 49. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.

PORTSMOUTH CLAY (2-1, 1-0): Jordan Collier 0 0 1-2 1, Kyle Lodwick 0 0 0-0 0, Aaron Phipps 1 0 0-0 2, Conner Phipps 0 2 0-0 6, Zack Phillips 2 0 0-0 4, Cole Gilliland 2 4 2-4 18, Brody Riffe 0 0 2-2 2, Cameron King 1 1 0-0 5, Matthew Smith 3 0 0-0 6, Bryson Hurt 2 0 3-7 7, Anthony Williams 1 0 0-0 2, Nate Hinze 6 4 0-0 24. Totals: 18 11 8-15 77. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.