Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — Forget getting a double-double. Jack Leith went for a 20-20.
The Symmes Valley senior center scored 22 points and hauled down 23 rebounds as the Vikings beat the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 55-42 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
Leith also had 3 assists and 5 blocked shots. Teammate Drew Scherer got 10 points and 6 rebounds and Luke Leith had 8 points and 12 rebounds as the Vikings out-rebounded Clay 42-16.
Shaden Malone got 17 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists to pace Clay (6-12, 5-7). Gage Moore scored 13 points and Evan Woods added 10.
Clay took a 12-8 first quarter lead as Malone scored 7 points and Moore hit a 3-pointer. Josh Ferguson scored 4 points for the Vikings.
The Vikings cut the deficit to 23-21 at the half as Caden Brammer scored 5 points, Jack Leith 4 and Scherer hit a 3-pointer.
Moore and Malone scored 4 points each to help Clay keep the lead.
But in the third quarter, the Vikings outscored the Panthers 16-6 to take a 37-29 lead. Jack Leith scored 8 points while Malone had all 6 of Clay’s points.
The Vikings continued to pull away in the fourth quarter as Jack Leith scored 8 points including 4-of-5 at the foul line, Luke Leith scored 5 and Scherer drained another trifecta.
Malone scored 7 points and Moore it a 3-pointer as he scored 6 points in the quarter.
NEXT UP: The Vikings host Rock Hill Saturday and visit South Point on Tuesday.
Ports. Clay 12 11 6 13 = 42
Sym. Valley 8 13 16 18 = 55
PORTSMOUTH CLAY (6-12, 5-7): Clay Cottle 0-2 0-3 0-0 0, Shaden Malone 8-18 0-2 1-3 17, Evan Woods 1-4 2-3 3-3 10, Reece Whitley 0-4 0-1 0-0 0, Gage Moore 2-8 2-4 3-3 13, Jaden Jessee 1-4 0-0 0-0 2. Totals: 16-42 7-9 42. 3-pt goals: 3-14. Rebounds: 9-O, 7-D = 16 (Malone 11). Assists: 9 (Malone 3). Steals: 14 (Cottle 5, Moore 4). Turnovers: 11. Blocks: 1 (Malone). Fouls: 12. Fouled out: Whitley.
SYMMES VALLEY (12-5, 9-3): Caden Brammer 4-6 0-1 1-1 9, Luke Leith 3-8 0-0 2-3 8, Josh Ferguson 2-4 0-0 0-0 4, Jack Leith 9-22 0-0 4-5 22, Logan Walsh 1-3 0-1 0-0 2, Drew Scherer 1-5 2-3 2-2 10, Tobey Smathers 0-0 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-55 9-11 55. 3-pt goals: 2-5. Rebounds: 19-O, 23-D = 42 (J. Leith 23, L. Leith 12, Scherer 6). Assists: 9 (J. Leith 3, Walsh 3). Steals: 4. Turnovers: 19. Blocks: 6 (J. Leith 5).