Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — Coaches love to see balance in their scoring. Vikings’ coach Alvin Carpenter had to be ecstatic after Friday’s game.

The Vikings had one player with 12 points and four more with 11 as they routed the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 65-42 in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

Grayson Walsh scored 12 points and had 3 assists to lead the balanced offense. Brayden Webb had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Caden Brammer 11 points, Ethan Patterson 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks and Dilen Caldwell had 11 points, 3 assists and 4 steals.

The Vikings are now 17-2 overall and clinched at least a share of the SOC title at 12-1. They played Western on Saturday needing a win to avoid sharing the title with Western.

Walsh hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points while Logan Justice hit a 3-pointer and the game was tied 13-all at the end of the quarter.

Evan Balestra hit a 3-pointer and scored 7 points while Kenny Fowler added 4 points for the Panthers in the quarter.

Then came the second quarter.

With the defense holding Clay to just 5 points, the offense got going as Caldwell scored 7 points and Brammer had 6 points and the Vikings went up 30-18 at the half.

Symmes Valley kept its offense ramped up with 19 more points in the third quarter.

Patterson drained a pair of 3-pointers while Levi Best and Brayden Webb had 4 points each and the lead grew to 49-30.

Balestra scored 4 points for Clay.

In the fourth quarter, Caldwell had 4 points as six different players had a basket.

The Vikings were 4-of-6 at the line with Caldwell 2-for-2 and Patterson and Walsh converting 3-point plays.

Ports Clay 13 5 12 12 = 42

Sym. Valley 13 17 19 16 = 65

PORTSMOUTH CLAY (xx): Brandon Malone 0 0 0-1 0, Isaiah Whitt 0 0 0-0 0, Gavin Clayton 1 0 4-4 6, Evan Balestra 5 1 0-2 13, Jack Hobrook 1 0 1-1 3, Collen Payne 1 1 0-0 5, Kenny Fowler 1 0 2-2 4, Malachi Loper 1 1 2-2 7, Mitchell King 2 0 0-0 4. Totals: 12 3 9-12 42. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.

SYMMES VALLEY (17-2, 12-1): Levi Ross 0 0 0-0 0, Caden Brammer 5 0 1-2 11, Ethan Patterson 2 2 1-1 11, Dilen Caldwell 2 0 5-7 11, Brayden Webb 5 0 1-2 11, Aleck Beckett 0 0 0-0 0, Levi Best 2 0 0-0 4, Nick Strow 0 0 0-0 0, Logan Justice 1 1 0-0 5, Grayson Walsh 3 1 3-3 12, Aiden Taylor 0 0 0-0 0, Eli Patterson 0 0 0-2 0. Totals: 25-57 11-15 65. 3-pt goals: 4-11. Rebounds: 17-O, 12-D = 29 (Webb 10, Ethan Patterson 6). Assists: 12 (Walsh 3, Caldwell 3). Steals: 12 (Caldwell 4). Blocks: 6 (Ethan Patterson 2, Eli Patterson 2). Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.