By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — Coach, look up there. We forgot to take the lids off the baskets.

That’s what it seemed like to the Symmes Valley Vikings as they shot 29 percent in a 53-45 loss to the River Valley Raiders on Tuesday.

The Vikings (0-1) and Raiders were tied at the end of the third quarter before failing to connect on shots in the fourth quarter. For the game, the Vikings were just 18 of 62 from the field and just 5-for-31 from behind the arc.

Will Jones scored 6 points as the Vikings took a 13-6 first quarter lead.

But Conor Clay hit a pair of 3-pointers as he scored 10 points and the Raiders rallied to take a 27-25 halftime lead.

Ethan Smith hit a 3-pointer as he scored 7 points for the Vikings in the quarter.

Smith hit a pair of 3-pointers as the Vikings tied the game at 34 in the third quarter.

But in the fourth quarter, the Raiders rallied to outscored the Vikings 19-11 to get the win.

Kade Alderman scored 7 points including a 3-pointer and Riley Evans scored 9 points for the Raiders.

Smith had another triple as she scored 5 points.

Symmes Valley was 18-of-62 from the field for the game and only 4-of-14 from the line.

Smith had 11 rebounds and Logan Simpkins grabbed 6. Simpkins also had 2 blocked shots.

Levi Ross and Smith had 3 assists each.

Th Raiders (1-1) were led by Clay with 14 and Alderman with 13.

River Valley 6 21 7 19 = 53

Sym. Valley 13 12 9 11 = 45

RIVER VALLEY (1-1): Riley Evans 3 3-3 9, Mason Browning 2 2 0-0 10, Jaap Kruthaup 0 0 0-0 0, Braden Bennett 0 0 1-1 1,  Conor Clay 3 2 2-2 14, Kade Alderman 4 1 2-2 13, Carson Mollohan 0 0 2-2 2, Kaden Thornton 0 0 0-0 0, Gary Truance 1 0 2-2 4, Aden Tooney 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 5 12-12 53. 3-pt goals: 5-15. Rebounds: 25 (5-O, 20-D).  Turnovers: 11. Blocks: 1.  Assists: 3. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.

SYMMES VALLEY (0-1): Ethan Smith 8-18 0-1 20, Aleck Beckett 4-8 0-0 8, Will Jones 3-5 1-2 7, Josh Saunders 1-14 2-4 5, Levin Ross 2-4 0-1 4, Logan Simpkins 0-7 1-6 1, Aydan Taylor 0-6 0-0 0. Totals: 18-62 4-14 45. 3-pt goals: 5-31. Rebounds: 19-O, 15-D = 34 (Smith 11, Simpkins 6) Steals: 5 (Saunders 2). Turnovers: 10. Blocks: 3 (Simpkins 2). Assists: 9 (Ross 3, Smith 3). Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.