FRANKLIN FURNACE — The Symmes Valley Vikings are leaning how to hone their “Craft.”

Behind the hot shooting of Josh Craft, the Vikings beat the Green Bobcats 49-39 Tuesday in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well as a team, but Craft shot the ball,” said Vikings’ coach Jerome Fuller.

“I’ve told the kids all year that if we don’t shoot that well, we have to fight through it and find a way to win. The kids did that. They played hard and found a way to win.”

Craft hit 7-of-11 floor shots including 2-of-6 from behind the arc as he scored a game-high 20 points. Kris Tibbs added 10 points and 9 rebounds while Justin Payne had 5 assists. Craft also had 4 steals.

Matt Ratcliff had 14 points and Dustin Stapleton 10 to lead Green (8-5, 7-3).

“We played really well defensively, we just couldn’t score and Craft got hot on us,” said Green coach Bobby Blanton. “We couldn’t make a shot in the second half.”

Green led 9-6 at the end of the first quarter and Stapleton had a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter as the lead went to 23-19 at the half. Craft scored 9 points in the first half.

Craft scored 11 points in the second half and the Vikings outscored Green 11-6 in the third quarter to lead 30-29.

Ratcliff was 4-of-6 from the line in the fourth quarter, but Brandon Bowling was 2-of-4 at the line while Luke Taylor and Craft had 4 points each to help the Vikings outscore Green 19-10 in the quarter.

“Rebounds off missed foul shots killed us. They missed free throws in the fourth quarter twice and we couldn’t come up with the ball,” said Blanton.

“We had our chances. But we played hard. I’m pleased with our effort.”

Sym. Valley 6 13 11 19 = 49

Green 9 14 6 10 = 39

SYMMES VALLEY (8-5, 6-3): Drew Brock 0 0 1-2 1, Justin Payne 0 0 1-3 1, Kris Tibbs 5 0 0-1 10, Luke Taylor 3 0 0-0 6, Hunter Johnson 1 0 1-1 3, Josh Craft 7 2 0-3 20, Brandon Bowling 1 0 2-4 4, Jacob Patterson 1 0 0-0 2, Ryan Stanley 1 0 0-0 2, Michael Ferris 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-49 5-14 49. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None. 3-point goals: 2-11. Rebounds: 32 (Tibbs 9). Assists: 13 (Payne 5). Steals: 12 (Craft 4). Turnovers: 12.

GREEN (8-5, 7-3): Trenton Otworth 1 0 2-2 4, Tyler Hughes 1 0 0-0 2, Patrick Pierce 1 1 0-0 5, Matt Ratcliff 5 0 4-7 14, Nate Pinkerton 0 0 0-0 0, Chad Lewis 2 0 0-0 4, Dustin Stapleton 2 2 0-0 10, Zane Poe 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 3 6-9 39. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None. Turnovers: 12. Steals: 5 (Otworth 2). Assists: 11 (Hughes 6, Pierce 4).

Green 61, Western 59

LATHAM — The Green Bobcats used a big third quarter to rally past the Western Indians for the second time this season and post a 61-59 Southern Ohio Conference win last Friday.

“The third quarter is always our quarter,” said Blanton. “Our defense was better and our turnovers were down.”

Green was down by 21 points going into the fourth quarter in a game earlier this season only to stage a comeback and beat Western.

On Friday, the Bobcats trailed 31-24 at the half but outscored the Indians 21-12 in the third quarter to take a 45-43 lead.

Each team scored 16 points in the fourth quarter.

Matt Ratliff scored 18 points to lead Green. Tyler Hughes had 11 points and Dustin Stapleton scored 10.

Green 8 16 21 16 = 61

Western 20 11 12 16 = 59

GREEN (8-4, 7-2): Trenton Otworth 1 0 2-2 4, Tyler Hughes 2 0 7-11 11, Tyler Crace 1 1 0-0 5, Matt Ratcliff 8 0 2-5 18, Nate Pinkerton 2 0 0-2 4, Chad Lewis 3 0 1-2 7, Dustin Stapleton 2 2 0-1 10, Zane Poe 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 20 3 12-23 61. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: None.

WESTERN (NA): Cody Cooper 3 0 1-5 7, Aaron Satterfield 2 3 1-1 14, Bruce Knauf 0 0 1-2 1, Klay Park 3 2 1-2 13, Sean Flint 2 0 1-2 5, Dsutin Gragg 2 0 1-1 5, Stephan Stojanovic 1 0 0-0 2, Kory Bakenhaster 4 0 4-5 12. Totals: 17 5 10-18 59. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: Gragg.