PORTSMOUTH - There's cold shooting, and then there's brrrr.

The Symmes Valley Vikings experienced one of the worst shooting night's possible in a 53-35 Southern Ohio Conference loss Friday to the Portsmouth Clay Panthers.

The Vikings were 10 of 52 from the field for just 19 percent including a meager 4 of 26 from 3-point range.

"We couldn't have climbed to the top of a house and dropped the basketball and hit the ground," Vikings coach Alvin Carpenter said. "It wasn't just one player, it was everyone. And we really didn't take a bad shot."

Jarred Shafer was the only Vikings in double figures with 12 points to go with seven rebounds. No other Vikings scored more than four points.

Cam Thurmond scored 21 points and Chris Robinson added 10 to lead Clay.

The Panthers led just 9-7 after the first quarter, but the Vikings managed only five points in the second quarter and fell behind 28-12 at the half.

Symmes Valley held Clay to six points in the third quarter but generated only seven points to trail 34-19.

"We didn't play that bad defensively, we just couldn't buy a basket. The points they got at the end were all from the foul line," Carpenter said.

The Vikings host Green Tuesday in a key SOC game.

Sym. Valley75716-35

Ports. Clay919619-53

SYMMES VALLEY (4-7, 3-3):

Chris Elswick 0 1 0-0 3, Kyle Gilmore 0 0 2-4 2, Cory Burcham 0 0 0-0 0, Craig Neal 1 0 1-2 3, Chase Higgins 1 0 0-2 2, Seth Colegrove 2 0 0-0 4, Jarred Shafer 0 2 6-6 12, Justin Hall 1 0 0-2 2, Matt Owens 0 1 0-2 3, Ian Runyon 0 0 0-2 0, John Wiseman 1 0 2-2 4. Totals: 10-52

(4-26)

9-18

35. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: 26 (Shafer 7). Turnovers: 17. Assists: 0. Steals: 6 (Elswick 3).

PORTSMOUTH CLAY (5-3, 4-1):

Eric Thacker 1 0 2-2 4, Cam Thurmond 5 3 2-5 21, Chris Robinson 1 2 2-2 10, Matt Brown 1 0 0-1 2, Josh Redden 2 0 1-2 5, Ross Friend 1 0 0-0 2, Nate Warnock 0 0 3-4 3, Chris Bihl 2 0 2-3 6, Mike Thacker 0 0 0-2 0. Totals: 13

(5)

12-21

53. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.