Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

SCIOTOVILLE — First, Symmes Valley played their last Southern Ohio Conference game of the season.

Now the Vikings will play the waiting game.

The Vikings outscored the Sciotoville East Tartans 81-74 Monday to finish with an 11-3 SOC record. Now they must wait to see how Beaver Eastern does in its final two league games.

Eastern is 10-2 and plays Portsmouth Notre Dame and Sciotoville East. Notre Dame also has three losses and needs a win to earn a share of the title.

“We took care of our business, now we have to sit back and wait,” said Vikings’ coach Donnie Saunders.

Symmes Valley (14-7) had five players in double figures led by Dylan Malone with 18.

Tyler Rowe and Ryan Gibson scored 16 each, Jonathan Kouns had 15 — all in the first half — and Kurt Adams scored 11.

Akia Brown scored 25 points for East. Drew Lowe scored 18 and Tyler Gerald 12.

Kouns scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Vikings took a 25-18 lead.

Malone had eight points in the second quarter but East sliced the deficit to 45-39 at the half.

East rallied in the third quarter to get within 63-62 at the end of the third quarter. Gibson hit a pair of 3-pointers to keep the Vikings in front.

Symmes Valley made 5-of-7 free throws down the stretch to help hold off the Tartans.

“We took care of the ball pretty well late and hit our free throws,” said Saunders.

The Vikings play in the sectional tournament at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Meigs High School.

Sym. Valley 25 20 18 19 = 81

Sciotoville 18 21 23 12 = 74

SYMMES VALLEY (14-7, 11-3): Dylan Malone 8 0 2-2 18, Collin Webb 0 0 1-2 1, Kurt Adams 2 2 1-2 11, Jonathan Kouns 3 2 3-4 15, Ben Ferguson 0 0 0-0 0, Jacob Klaiber 2 0 0-0 4, Tyler Rowe 6 0 4-6 16, Ryan Gibson 2 3 3-4 16. Totals: 23 7 14-18 81. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.

SCIOTOVILLE EAST (NA): Shauntavian Martin 2 0 0-0 4, Michael Stiltner 3 0 2-5 8, Drew Lowe 0 6 0-0 18, Shane Siebert 0 0 1-2 1, Jordan Bowen 0 0 0-0 0, Akia Brown 9 0 7-8 25, Ricky Bolda 1 0 0-0 2, Tyler Gerald 5 0 2-2 12, Nick Basham 2 0 0-2 4. Totals: 22 6 12-19 74. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: None.