Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — The Symmes Valley Vikings had to be thinking “what if?”
The Vikings went toe-to-toe with Southern Ohio Conference leader New Boston, but it was a disastrous second quarter that allowed the Tigers to beat Symmes Valley 61-49 on Friday.
The Vikings took a 14-10 early lead but were outscored 21-7 in the second quarter as the offense went cold.
They battled back in the third quarter before New Boston was able to pull away in the final quarter.
The game featured a battle of big men as the Vikings 6-foot-3 Luke Leith racked up 27 points while New Boston’s 6-5 Kyle Sexton finished with 22 points including 12-of-14 from the foul line.
Drew Scherer scored 11 points and was the only other player in double figures for the Vikings (3-4, 3-3).
Besides Sexton, Grady Jackson had 13 points and Devon Jones 10 for New Boston (11-1, 6-0).
Leith scored 8 points while Scherer and Grayson Walsh each hit 3-pointers to give the Vikings a 14-01 first quarter lead.
Jackson had 6 points for New Boston.
Then came the fateful second quarter as Jones got 8 points and Tanner Voiers, Jackson and Sexton all had 3-pointers to rally the Tigers to a 31-21 lead at the half.
Leith scored 5 points and Levi Best added a basket for the Vikings in the quarter.
Scherer hit three baskets, Best knocked down a triple and Leith had 4 points as Symmes Valley cut the deficit to 44-37 after three quarters.
Sexton and Voiers combined for 11 of the Tigers’ 13 points in the quarter.
Leith took charge with 10 points on five field goals in the fourth quarter, but Sextgon had a 3-pointer and converted 8-of-10 from the foul line while Brady Voiers went 2-for-2.
The Tigers were 18-of-24 at the line while the Vikings were only 2-of-5.
The Vikings were to visit Northwest on Saturday and travel to Western on Tuesday.
New Boston 10 21 13 17 = 61
Sym. Valley 14 7 16 12 = 49
NEW BOSTON (11-1, 6-0): Devon Jones 5 0 0-0 10, Grady Jackson 5 1 0-0 13, Tanner Voiers 1 2 1-2 9, Kage Truitt 0 0 0-0 0, Kyle Sexton 2 2 12-14 22, Chase Clark 1 0 0-0 2, Brady Voiers 0 0 5-6 5. Totals: 14. 5 18-24 61. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.
SYMMES VALLEY (3-4, 3-3): Caden Brammer 1 0 0-0 2, Luke Leith 13 0 1-2 27, Josh Ferguson 0 0 0-0 0, Levi Best 1 1 0-0 5, Drew Scherer 3 1 1-2 11, Eli Patterson 1 0 0-0 2, Logan Justice 0 0 0-0 0, Grayson Walsh 0 1 0-0 3. Totals: 19 3 2-5 49. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.