By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WILLOW WOOD — In the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy said that “there’s no place like home.”

The Symmes Valley Vikings would probably agree.

The Vikings rallied in the second half and held off the Oak Hill Oaks 52-49 on Friday and improved their record to 11-5 including 4-1 in the Southern Ohio Conference 2.

When breaking down the Vikings record, they are 5-1 at home. And when looking at their losses, the Vikings lost 4 straight away games to SOC 3 teams Lucasville Valley, Wheelersburg and Minford plus SOC1 leader Portsmouth Notre Dame..

Their only league loss was at first place Northwest.

On Friday, Andy Meldick hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 8 points, Mason Davis and Ethan O’Connor each hit 3-pointers and Joseph Arteby scored 4 points as Oak Hill took an 18-15 first quarter lead.

Ethan Smith scored 9 points in the first quarter and Jacob Cade added 4 points for the Vikings.

Will Jones scored 5 points and Smith hit a triple in the second quarter as the Vikings tied the game 26-all at the half.

Meldick and Davis hit 3-pointers for the Oaks.

Symmes Valley took its first lead at 39-37 in the third quarter as Smith and Aydan Taylor had 4 points each.

Five different players scored for the Oaks.

The game remained tight in the fourth quarter as the Vikings outscored the Oaks 13-12 to get the win.

Smith scored 6 points, Logan Simpkins was 4-of-6 at the foul line and Taylor hit a 3-pointer.

Arteby scored 7 points and Davis hit a 3-pointer for Oak Hill.

Smith had another big game for the Vikings with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Jones got 11 points and 11 rebounds with Cade pulling down 7 rebounds.

Oak Hill (5-12, 0-9) was led by Meldick and Arteby with 15 points each and Davis added 11 points.

Oak Hill    18 8 11 12 = 49

Sym.Valley 15 11 13 13 = 52

OAK HILL (5-12, 0-9): Garrett McKinniss 1 0 0-0 2, Andy Meldick 2 3 2-2 15, Will Morgan 0 0 0-0 0, Mason Davis 1 3 0-0 11, Landon Osborne 0 0 0-0 0, Ethan O’Connor 0 2 0-0 6, Caleb Chambers 0 0 0-0 0, Joseph Arteby 7 0 1-4 15. Totals: 11 8 3-6 49. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: None.

SYMMES VALLEY (11-5, 4-1): Ethan Pinkerman 0 0 0-2 0, Jacob Cade3 0 3-4 9, Logan Simpkins 0 1 4-6 7, Ethan Smith 9 1 1-1 22, Tanner Cade 0 0 0-0 0, Will Jones 4 0 3-4 11, Aydan Taylor 0 1 0-0 3, Levi Owens 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-49 11-18 52. 3-pt goal: 3-14. Rebounds: O-12 D-15 = 27 (Jones 11, Cade 7, Smith 6). Assists: 4 (Smith 3). Steals: 5 (Simpkins 2, Smith 2). Blocks: 2 (Cade, Taylor). Turnovers: 8. Fouls: 7. Fouled out: None.