Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — Teams want to get better throughout the season. It looks like the Symmes Valley Vikings are doing just that.
In yet another strong outing, the Vikings turned to their defense as they beat the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans 50-45 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
“We were really balanced tonight and got contributions from our entire rotation,” said Vikings’ coach Chad Coffman. “This was the most complete defensive effort that our team has had this season.”
Trent Turner scored 13 points to lead the Vikings (3-13, 3-6) while Luke Leith scored 12, Drew Scherer 10 and Josh Ferguson eight.
Notre Dame (1-13, 1-8) got a game-high 21 points from Ben Mader. Caleb Nichols scored 11 and Jackson Clark eight.
Scherer five points including 3-of-4 at the foul line, and Ferguson and Luke Leith had four points each as the Vikings took a 15-6 first quarter lead.
The lead was 27-17 at the half as Turners hit a 3-pointer and scored five points with Ferguson getting four more in the second quarter.
Mader hit a trey and had five points while Clark and Ethan Kammer combined to go 6-for-6 at the line in the quarter.
Turner hit another trifecta and scored five points in the third quarter and the lead was 36-25.
Nichols knocked down two 3-pointers for the Titans.
Notre Dame staged a comeback in the fourth quarter and outscored the Vikings 20-14.
Mader buried a couple of 3-pointers and scored 12 points while Cole Harrell and Clark each had 3-pointers to spark the rally.
But Luke Leith scored six points and Scherer and Turner each drained a 3-ointers as the Vikings withstood the comeback threat.
Symmes Valley hosts Sciotoville East next Friday.
Notre Dame 6 11 8 20 = 45
Sym. Valley 15 12 9 14 = 50
PORTSMOUTH NOTRE DAME (1-13, 1-8): Cole Harrell 0 1 0-0 3, Ben Mader 4 3 4-4 21, Jackson Clark 0 1 5-6 8, Chris Schmidt 0 0 0-0 0, Caleb Nichols 1 3 0-0 11, Ethan Kammer 0 0 2-2 2. Totals: 5 8 11-12 45. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Clark.
SYMMES VALLEY (3-13, 3-6): Luke Leith 6 0 0-0 12, Jack Leith 0 0 3-4 3, Caden Brammer 0 0 0-0 0, Drew Scherer 2 1 3-4 10, Alec Carpenter 1 0 0-0 2, Josh Ferguson 3 0 2-2 9, Trent Turner 1 3 2-3 13, Toby Smathers 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 14 4 10-13 50. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.