Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — The Symmes Valley Vikings might have started slow, but they finished fast.
The Vikings outscored the Rock Hill Redmen 23-14 in the fourth quarter and rallied for a 60-56 win on Friday.
“It was a typical rivalry basketball game,” said Vikings’ coach Chad Coffman. “We got ourselves in a little bit of trouble with the slow starts in each half.
“Rock Hill played really hard and made us work. I though our press really changed the game late in the third and early in the fourth quarter.”
The Vikings (5-3) were led by Layken Gothard with 16 points and seven steals while Jack Leith had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Brock Carpenter got 13 points, six rebounds and three steals and Hunter Adams added 11 points in the win.
Braden Stamper scored 18 points, Jaret Bacorn 13 and Logan Hankins 10 for the Redmen (0-7).
The Vikings took a 15-14 first quarter lead as Gothard had five points including a 3-pointer and Adams got five points as he made 3-of-4 free throws. Stamper had four points and Hankins hit a 3-pointer for Rock Hill.
The Redmen went up 28-26 at the half as Hankins hit another 3-pointer and Bacorn scored three points. Carpenter scored six and Gothard five to accounted for all of the Vikings’ offense in the quarter.
Rock Hill stretched the lead to 42-37 after three quarters as Stamper hit a 3-pointer and score eight points while Isaac Floyd got four points.
Carpenter had six points to keep the Vikings close.
In the pivotal fourth quarter, Leith scored seven points and Adams added six more as the Vikings got their offense going.
Bacorn scored six points, Stamper four and Hankins was 4-for-4 at the foul line.
The Vikings host Green next Friday. Rock Hill goes to Southeastern on Saturday night and visits Oak Hill on Tuesday.
“It was an exciting game to end 2017 and prepare us for a really busy second half of the season,” said Coffman.
In the reserve game, Rock Hill beat Symmes Valley (7-1) 49-21 as Garrett Miller scored 16 and Caleb Dillon nine.
Sym. Valley    15    11    11    23    =    60
Rock Hill    14    14    14    14    =    56
SYMMES VALLEY (5-3): Derik Brace 1 0 0-0 2, Jack Leith 5 0 3-7 13, Alec Carpenter 0 0 0- 00, Nick Klaiber 2 0 1-1 5, Layken Gothard 6 1 1-4 16, Austin Mannon 0 0 0-0 0, Hunter Adams 4 0 3-7 11, Brock Carpenter 5 0 3-4 13. Totals: 23 1 11-23 60. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.
ROCK HILL (0-7): Cody Roberts 1 0 0-0 2, Jake Blagg 1 0 1-2 3, Garrett Miller 0 1 0-0 3, Brady Floyd 0 0 0-0 0, Isaac Floyd 3 0 1-1 7, Logan Hankins 0 2 4-4 10, Braden Stamper 4 1 7-7 18, Jaret Bacorn 6 0 1-3 13, Logan Reed 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 4 14-17 56. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: Hankins, I. Floyd.