Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The St. Joseph Flyers need a “Zach Attack.”
Trailing after three quarters, Zach Roach exploded for 17 points in the fourth quarter to help St. Joseph tie the game and his 5 points in overtime enabled the Flyers to outlast the Symmes Valley Vikings 85-81 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
“We went to a trip the entire fourth quarter and overtime in pretty much a desperation drive to kind of speed them up and turn them over and we started making some shots,” said Flyers’ coach Chris Barnes.
“Ryan and Zac especially had good games offensively and J.C. had a nice game. But everyone from one through eight played well and contributed and played well. We had to have a team effort to win.”
Roach — who drained five 3-pointers — finished with a career-high 34 points as the Flyers improved to 17-5 overall and finished second in the SOC at 10-4.
Ryan Payne scored 17 points and J.C. Damron 16 before fouling out late in the game.
Jack Leith scored 28 points for the Vikings (14-8, 9-5). Logan Walsh hit four 3-pointers and scored 19 points while Luke Leith added 13 points.
Walsh got hot in the first quarter as he hit three 3-pointers and Caden Brammer had 4 points as the Vikings took a 20-17 lead.
Roach had a 3-pointer and scored 9 points while Damron added 4 points for the Flyers.
Jack Leith scored 8 points while Luke Leith and Josh Ferguson had 4 points each in the quarter and the Vikings went up 37-28 at the break.
Jack Leith poured in 13 points including 3-of-3 from the foul line as the Vikings opened up a 57-41 lead.
Payne had 4 points and Matthew Sheridan knocked down a trifecta for the Flyers.
But then the “Zach Attack” was unleashed in the fourth quarter as Roach buried four 3-pointers among his 17 points.
Payne also hit a 3-pointer and scored 8 points while Damron had 4 points and Sheridan another triple.
Walsh hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points in the fourth quarter. Drew Scherer came up big in the quarter as he was clutch at the foul line by making 4-of-6 free throws. Jack Leith had 5 points before fouling out.
In overtime, Roach was 3-of-3 at the line among his 5 points and Jimmy Mahlmeister sank 2-of-4 at the line to help the Flyers outscore the Vikings 11-7.
Luke Leith had 4 points as he went 2-of-2 at the line and Ferguson added a foul shot and Scherer hit a basket.
“We had a terrible time for three or four quarters keeping Jack Leith off the offensive glass,” said Barnes. “But it was a great effort and a great comeback.”
UP NEXT: In the Division 4 sectional tournament on Wednesday at Northwest, St. Joseph plays Lucasville Valley at 6:15 p.m. and Symmes Valley faces South Webster at 8 p.m.
Sym. Valley 20 17 20 17 7 = 81
St. Joseph 17 11 13 33 11 = 85
SYMMES VALLEY (14-8, 8-6): Caden Brammer 2 0 1-3 5, Luke Leith 5 0 3-4 13, Josh Ferguson 4 0 1-3 9, Jack Leith 12 0 4-7 28, Logan Walsh 2 4 3-6 19, Drew Scherer 1 0 5-7 7, Tobey Smathers 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 26 4 17-30 81. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: J. Leith.
ST. JOSEPH (17-5, 10-4): Jackson Rowe 0 0 0-0 0, Matthew Sheridan 0 2 0-0 6, Zach Roach 7 5 5-10 34, Ryan Payne 5 2 1-1 17, Jared Johnson 2 0 0-0 4, J.C. Damron 6 0 4-4 16, Jimmy Mahlmeister 1 1 3-6 8, Max Weber 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 10 13-21 85. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: Payne, Damron.