By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — Just your typical Green Bobcats and Symmes Valley Vikings game.

In back-and-forth battle, Green managed to hold off the Vikings for a 53-50 Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.

Levi Sampson scored a game-high 29 points and Levi Waddell scored 13 points for the Bobcats (6-2, 4-).

The Vikings (1-4, 1-3) had three players in double figures as Josh Saunders and Aleck Beckett got 14 each while Braden Corn added 10 points.

The Vikings took the first quarter lead 18-14 as Corn hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points while Saunders got 5 and Ethan Smith 4.

Sampson scored 9 points and Gabe McBee hit a triple for the Bobcats.

Green cut the deficit to 27-26 at the half as Sampson had 6 more points and McBee hit his second long-range bomb.

Saunders had 4 points and Will Jones 3 for the Vikings.

The Bobcats came out the second half and took the lead by outscoring the Vikings18-10 to make it a 44-37 game.

Sampson scored 9 points including 3-of-3 at the line while Waddell drained three 3-pointers.

The Vikings rallied in the fourth quarter but couldn’t overcome the 7-point lead.

Corn drilled a 3-pointer and Beckett had 6 points as the Vikings outscored Green 13-9.

Jon Knapp had a 3-pointer while Sampson was 4-of-4 at the foul line and scored 6 points as Green held on for the win.

Green       14 12 18 9 = 53

Sym. Valley 18 9 10 13 = 50

GREEN (6-2, 4-0): Levi Blevins 1 0 0-0 2, Levi Sampson 11 0 7-9 29, Jon Knapp 0 1 0-0 3, Levi Waddell 1 3 2-5 13, Gave McBee 0 2 0-0 6, Derek Salyers 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-50 9-14 53. 3pt goals: 6-19. Rebounds: 9-O, 11-D – 20. Assist: 7. Steals: 0. Blocks: 1. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.

SYMMES VALLEY (1-4, 1-3): Braden Corn 2 2 0-0 10, Jacob Cade 0 0 0-0 0, Ethan Smith 3 0 1-2 7, Aleck Beckett 5 0 4-4 14, Levi Ross 0 0 0-0 0, Josh Saunders 6 0 2-2 14, Will Jones 2 0 1-2 5. Totals: 20-57 8-10 50. 3-pt goals: 2-13. Rebounds: 14-O, 18-D = 32 (Beckett 12, Saunders 5, Smith 5). Assists: 8 (Ross 5, Smith 3). Steals: 8 (Corn 4). Blocks: 4 (Beckett 3) . Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.