By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

SCIOTOVILLE — The Symmes Valley Vikings finally found the foul line to be friendly.

Having struggled at time this season from the foul line, the Vikings converted 17-of-32 free throws as they held off the Sciotoville East Tartans 49-44 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.

Josh Saunders scored 22 points including 9-of-12 at the line when East was forced to foul in the fourth quarter. Braden Corn scored 12 points and made 7-of-12 free throws for the Vikings (4-5, 2-3).

East (4-5, 1-5) had 4 players in double figures as Landen Pernell scored 12, Austin Baughman 11 and Kaiden Huston and Jaylen Mayhew 10 each.

The Vikings went up 11-8 in the first quarter as Saunders and Corn combined for all 11 points with each hitting a 3-pointer.

Baughman and Mayhew got 4 points each for East’s total.

Symmes Valley opened up a 25-12 halftime lead as Ethan Smith scored 7 on his 9 pints and Saunders got 5 more. The other 2 points came from Levi Ross.

Baughman and Mayhew had baskets to account for the Tartans’ points.

East managed to outscore the Vikings by the scant sum of 8-7 and it was now 32-20.

Saunders scored all 7 of the Vikings’ points while Pernell scored 6 of East’s 8 points.

East caught fire in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Vikings 24-17.

Huston hit a pair of 3-pointers and cored 8 points, Baughman had a try and scored 5 points, Mayhew had two baskets and Pernell got 6 points including 2-of-5 at the foul line.

Corn converted 7-of-12 from the line, Saunders had a basket and 2 foul shots, Smith and Will Jones each had baskets and Levi Ross added a foul shot.

Saunders also had 7 rebounds while Smith got 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals.

Sym. Valley 11 14 7 17 = 49

Sciotoville 8 4 8 24 = 44

SYMMES VALLEY (4-5, 2-3): Levi Ross 1 0 1-2 3, Braden Corn 1 1 7-12 12, Jacob Cade 0 0 0-0 0, Ayden Taylor 0 0 0-0 0, Aleck Beckett 0 0 1-2 1, Josh Saunders 6 1 9-12 22, Ethan Smith 4 0 1-1 9, Will Jones 1 0 0-3 2. Totals: 15-48 17-32 49. 3-pt goals: 2-9. Rebounds: 11-O, 19-D = 30 (Saunders 7, Beckett 6, Jones 5, Smith 5). Assists: 8 (Smith 4, Saunders 2). Steals: 15 (Smith 6). Turnovers: 17. Blocks: 2 (Cade 2). Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.

SCIOTOVILLE EAST (4-5, 1-5): Austin Baughman 4 1 0-0 11, Kaiden Huston 2 2 0-0 10, Jaylen Mayhew 5 0 0-1 10, Keagan Jackson 0 0 1-2 1, Cameron Justice 0 0 0-0 0, Landen Pernell 5 0 2-5 12, Ethan Rase 0 0 0-0 0, Dylan Fitzgerald 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-57 3-8 44. 3-pt goals: 3-19. Rebounds: 10-O, 20-D = 30. Assists: 9. Steals: 0. Turnovers: 23. Blocks: 1. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: None.