Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — Forget the final score. There was just one number that determined the outcome of this game: 26 turnovers.
The Symmes Valley Vikings had 26 turnovers that enabled the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans to notch a 59-44 Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
Another number that played a role in the outcome was “7” which was the number of 3-point goals by Jonathan Strickland who scored a career-high 32 points for the Titans.
The Vikings (4-5, 4-4) were led by Caden Brammer with 12 points and 3 assists with Luke Leith getting 11 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocked shots before fouling out.
Symmes Valley took a 13-11 first quarter lead as Drew Scherer hit a pair of 3-pointer goals and Leith added 5 points. Strickland had pair of triples and scored 8 points while Jermaine Powell added a 3-pointer for the Titans.
The scoring was slow in the second quarter as Brammer had a 3-pointer with Logan Justice and Leith adding baskets to make it 20-17 at the half.
Grayson Walsh and Brammer had 3-pints and six different players scored in the third quarter for the Vikings, but Strickland went off with four trifectas and scored 14 points with Caleb Nichols added two more 3-poiners as Notre Dame went up 40-38.
Symmes Valley couldn’t find any offense in the fourth quarter as Brammer went 4-for-4 at the line and Eli Patterson had a basket to account for all 6 points.
Strickland hit his final 3-pointer and scored 8 points including 3-of-3 at the foul line. Dylan Seison hit a 3-poitner and scored 5 points while Jackson Clark got 6 points including 4-of-4 at the foul line.
The Titans were 6-of-8 at the foul line in the quarter.
Sym. Valley 13 7 18 6 = 44
Notre Dame 11 6 23 19 = 59
SYMMES VALLEY (4-5, 4-4): Caden Brammer 0 2 6-6 12, Luke Leith 5 0 1-2 11, Josh Ferguson 0 0 0-0 0, Levi Best 1 0 0-0 2, Braden Webb 0 0 0-0 0, Drew Scherer 1 2 0-0 8, Nick Strow 0 0 0-1 0, Eli Patterson 3 0 0-0 6, Logan Justice 1 0 0-0 2, Grayson Walsh 0 1 0-0 3. Totals: 16-43 7-9 44. 3-pt goals: 5-13. Rebounds: 5-O, 18-D = 23 (Leith 10, Patterson 6). Assists: 13 (Walsh 4, Brammer 3, Ferguson 3). Steals: 18 (Walsh 5, Leith 4, Scherer 3). Blocks: 3 (Leith 2). Turnover: 26. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Leith.
PORTSMOUTH NOTRE DAME (7-3, 5-2): Carter Campbell 0 0 0-0 0, Jermained Powell 01 0-0 3, Caleb Nichols 1 2 0-2 8, Wyatt Webb 0 0 0-0 0, Dominic Sparks 0 0 0-0 0, Gary Zheng 0 0 0-0 0, Jackson Clark 2 0 4-4 8, Chris Schmidt 0 0 0-0 0, Dylan Seison 2 1 1-5 8, Jonathan Strickland 3 7 5-5 32, Reagan Lester 0 0 0-0 0, Ethan Kammer 0 0 0-0 0. Totals; 9 11 10-16 59. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.