By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — This was a basketball game that had the feeling of a ping pong match.

The lead went back and forth before the Symmes Valley Vikings slammed home the winning shots as they beat the Western Indians 59-53 in. Southern Ohio Conference Division 2 game on Tuesday.

Western went up 20-18 in the first quarter as Drew Haggy hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 12 points while Cutter Clay and Foster Davis each hit 3-pointers.

Ethan Smith scored 8 points and Aydan Taylor dropped in a pair of triples for the Vikings.

Taylor had 5 points as he and Tanner Corn each hit 3-pointers and both Will Jones and Jacob Cade converted 3-point plays as the Vikings rallied to take a 33-29 halftime edge.

Logan Lightle and Davis had 3-pointers for the Indians in the quarter.

The lead flipped again in the third quarter as Western took a 46-42 lead. Kam James scored 8 points and Lightle had another trey for the Indians.

Cade, Smith and Taylor all scored 3 points each in the third quarter. Taylor’s points were a 3-pointer..

But the Vikings rallied to outscore Western 17-7 in the fourth quarter as Taylor drained 2 more 3-pointers while Cade scored 6 points including a pair of free throws.

Haggy had 5 points and Jones a basket to account for Western’s offense.

Taylor scored 20 points including six 3-pointers to lead the Vikings (7-5, 2-1). Cade had 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots while Smith had 13 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

Western (4-10, 1-2) was led by Haggy with 20 points with James adding 10 points.

Western    20 9 17 7 = 53

Sym. Valley 18 15 9 17 = 59

WESTERN (4-10, 1-2): Tyler Kerns 1 0 0-0 2, Logan Lightle 0 2 0-0 6, Drew Haggy 5 2 4-6 20, Kam James 4 0 2-2 10, Alex Siliven 2 0 0-1 4, Cutter Clay 0 1 0-0 3, Eli Mcquay 0 0 0-0 0,  Josiah Satterfield 0 0 0-0 0, Foster Davis 0 2 0-0 6. Totals: 13 7 6-9 53. Fouls: 18, Fouled out: None.

SYMMES VALLEY (7-5, 2-1): Ethan Pinkerman 0 0 0-0 0, Jacob Cade 5 0 4-7 14, Logan Simpkins 1 0 2-4 4, Ethan Smith 6 0 1-2 13, Tanner Corn 0 1 0-0 3, Gradee Holland 0 0 0-0 0, Will Jones 2 0 1-1 5, Aydan Taylor 1 6 0-0 20, Levi Owens 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-58 8-14 59. 3-pt goals: 7-15. Rebounds: O-7 D-24 = 31 (Cade 9, Smith 9). Assists: 9 (Smith 4, Holland 3). Steals: 3 (Taylor 2, Smith 1).  Blocks: 9 (Cade 5, Smith 2) Turnovers: 19. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.