Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FRANKLIN FURNACE — The Symmes Valley Vikings like to make things exciting.
The Vikings have a habit of turning big leads into close games and on Tuesday they turned a lead into a deficit before they rallied to beat the Green Bobcats in a 77-71 Southern Ohio Conference thriller.
“The last two games we’ve had leads and gave up a little bit, but we buckled down, took care of the ball and hit our free throws,” said Vikings’ coach Alvin Carpenter.
The Vikings improved to 7-3 on the season and remained in the conference title hunt with a 4-1 record.
Green continued to play a team close but fell short again and is 5-7 on the season and a hard-luck 1-5 in the SOC.
The Vikings’ Jack Leith had a monster game with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
Logan Walsh scored 17 points to go with 4 assists and 3 steals. Luke Leith had 8 rebounds.
Gage Sampson scored 22 points to lead Green. Levi Singleton scored 16 points and Ethan Huffman added 14 points.
Logan Walsh scored 9 points, Jack Leith had 5 more points and Drew Scherer and Josh Ferguson each hit 3-pointers as the Vikings took a 22-14 lead.
Sampson had 6 points and Huffman and Levi Singleton each hit 3-pointers for Green.
Each team scored 15 points in the second quarter and it was 37-29 at the half.
Jack Leith had 8 points and Scherer hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points. Sampson had 8 points for Green.
Levi Sampson hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points to begin the second half as Green took the lead, 53-50. Walsh hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points and Leith added 4 more.
The Vikings grabbed the momentum back as Leith began to take control inside.
Leith scored 16 points and was 6-of-8 at the foul line as Symmes Valley outscored Green 27-17. Scherer got 5 points and was 1-of-1 at the line.
On Friday, Symmes Valley host St. Joseph and Green entertains Portsmouth Notre Dame.
Sym. Valley 22 15 13 27 = 77
Green 14 15 24 17 = 71
SYMMES VALLEY (7-3, 4-1): Caden Brammer 2 0 0-0 4, Luke Leith 2 0 0-0 4, Josh Ferguson 0 1 1-3 4, Jack Leith 13 0 7-10 33, Logan Walsh 4 2 3-5 17, Drew Scherer 3 2 1-1 13, Tobey Smathers 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 30-59 12-19 77. 3-pt goals: 5-10. Rebounds: 13-O, 21-D = 34 (J. Leith 13, L. Leith 8). Assists: 18 (Brammer 5, Scherer 4, Walsh 4). Steals: 8 (Walsh 3, Scherer 3). Blocks: 4 (J. Leith 2). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: L. Leith.
GREEN (5-7, 1-5): Alec Smith 2 1 1-3 8, Ethan Huffman 4 1 3-4 14, Levi Singleton 0 1 0-0 3, Levi Sampson 1 4 2-2 16, Gage Sampson 7 0 8-12 22, Trevor Darnell 1 0 0-0 2, Troy Otworth 0 0 0-0 0, Caden Brammer 2 0 2-4 6. Totals: 17 7 16-25 71. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: G. Sampson.