Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — Guess that’s what you call a team win.
The Symmes Valley Vikings had three players in double figures and two more who just missed as they beat the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 71-58 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
“We had a really balanced attack tonight,” said Vikings’ coach Chad Coffman. “Alec Carpenter had a really good all-around game for us. The guys did a good job handling a very physical game.”
Jack Leith scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Vikings (6-13, 5-6). Alec Carpenter had 14 points and Drew Scherer scored 13. Both Luke Leith and Toby Smathers scored eight points.
Shaden Malone and Reece Whitley scored 14 points each and Hunter Mathias 10 to lead Clay (5-14, 4-8).
The Vikings were up 10-6 after the first quarter as Carpenter scored four points.
The pace picked up in the second quarter as the Vikings used five points from Trent Turner and four each from Carpenter and Jack Leith to go up 30-24 at the half.
Chase Hudson hit a 3-pointer and scored seven points while Whitley also made a 3-pointer and scored five points for Clay in the quarter.
Symmes Valley began to pull away in the third quarter as Jack Leith scored seven points, Scherer had six and Smathers four to make it 51-40.
Malone hit a pair of 3-pointers and Whitley got four points for the Panthers.
Jack Leith scored eight points while Scherer and Carpenter got four each as the Vikings outscored Clay 20-18 in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings converts 6-of-8 free throws attempts in the quarter.
Mathias had eight of his points for Clay.
“I thought we were able to calm down and execute a little better as the game wore on. This gives us a chance (Saturday) to get back to .500 in league play. Hopefully, we are peaking at the right time with the tournament right around the corner,” said Coffman.
Symmes Valley hosts Beaver Eastern on Tuesday.
Sym. Valley 10 20 21 20 = 71
Ports. Clay 6 18 16 18 = 58
SYMMES VALLEY (6-13, 5-6): Luke Leith 4 0 0-0 8, Jack Leith 7 0 5-7 19, Drew Scherer 4 0 5-8 13, Alec Carpenter 6 0 2-2 14, Josh Ferguson 1 0 0-0 2, Trent Turner 2 0 3-6 7, Toby Smathers 4 0 0-1 8. Totals: 28 0 15-24 71. Fouls: 24. Fouled out: Ferguson.
PORTSMOUTH CLAY (5-14, 4-8): Clay Cottle 0 0 0-2 0, Shaden Malone 3 2 2-7 14, Mason Newton 2 0 3-4 7, Hunter Mathias 5 0 0-1 10, Reece Whitley 2 2 4-6 14, Jared Conkel 0 0 0-0 0, Garrett Beegan 0 0 2-3 2, Chase Hudson 1 1 3-4 8, Gage Moore 0 0 0-0 0, Tyler Hobbs 0 1 0-0 3. Totals: 13 6 14-27 58. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: None.