Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

NEW BOSTON — It was the best of basketball, it was the worst of basketball.
With apologies to Charles Dickens and his book “A Tale of Two Cities,” Saturday’s Division 4 sectional championship game proved to be a tale of two halves for the Symmes Valley Vikings.
A heavy underdog, the Vikings were leading the top-seeded New Boston Tigers by one point at halftime. But the second half belonged to the Tigers who outscored the Vikings 47-23 and took a 74-51 win.
Luke Leith, Drew Scherer and Grayson Walsh scored 4 points each as the Vikings took a 12-10 first quarter lead.
De’Von Jones had 6 points for the Tigers in the quarter.
Caden Brammer hit a 3-pointer and scored all 7 of his points in the second quarter as the Vikings held onto the lead at the half, 28-27.
Grady Jackson had a 3-pointers and scored 7 points while Kyle Sexton also hit a 3-pointer and scored 6 points to keep New Boston close.
But when the second half began, the Tigers started heating up as they outscored the Vikings 20-10 in the third quarter as Tanner Voiers hit a pair of 3-pointers and had 7 points and Jackson hit two more 3-pointers.
Eli Patterson and Leith scored 5 points each for the Vikings.
New Boston’s scoring really took off in the fourth quarter with 27 points.
Sexton ha 9 points including 5-of-5 from the foul line and Jones hit a 3-pointer and scored 8 points.
Josh Ferguson scored all 4 of his points the quarter to pace the Vikings.
Leith finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and a blocked shot for the Vikings (8-11). Scherer had 10 points, 4 rebounds and a blocked shot while Patterson added 9 points and 6 rebounds.
Walsh and Ferguson had 4 assists each and Ferguson also had 3 steals. Brammer also had 3 steals.
Sexton scored 23 points to lead four players in double figures for New Boston (20-2). Jones scored 19 points, Jackson 15 and Voiers added 10.
The Tigers beat the Vikings 86-57 on Tuesday in a conference makeup game.
New Boston only dressed six players due to reports of COVID-19 issues with their reserve players.
Sym. Valley 12 16 10 13 = 51
New Boston 10 17 20 27 = 74
SYMMES VALLEY (8-11): Caden Brammer 2 1 0-0 7, Luke Leith 6 0 1-5 13, Josh Ferguson 2 0 0-0 4, Drew Scherer 2 0 0-0 4, Eli Patterson 3 0 3-4 9, Grayson Walsh 4 0 0-0 8, Aleck Beckett 0 0 0-0 0, Brayden Webb 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-50 5-11 51. 3-pt goals: 2-16. Rebounds: 7-O, 15-D = 22 (Leith 8, Patterson 6). Assists: 14 (Ferguson 4, Walsh 4). Steals: 10 (Brammer 3, Leith 3, Ferguson 3). Blocks: 2 (Leith, Scherer). Turnovers: 20. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: Leith, Walsh.
NEW BOSTON (20-2): De’Von Jones 7 1 2-5 19, Grady Jackson 3 3 0-0 15, Tanner Voiers 1 2 2-4 10, Kyle Sexton 6 1 8-10 23, Chase Clark 1 0 1-2 3, Brady Voiers 2 0-0 4. Totals: 20 7 13-21 74. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.