Vikings use pressure, 1st half scoring barrage to get opening night win over Panthers

WILLOW WOOD — Ball pressure in the backcourt and a red hot start was all the Symmes Valley Vikings needed to rout the Clay Panthers 68-42 on Tuesday night in the season opener for the two Southern Ohio Conference teams.

The Vikings were lead on the stat sheet by Key Roberts with a game-high 23 points and 7 rebounds. Both Bronx Carpenter and Mason Campbell finished with 14 points.

Symmes Valley (1-0) was able to get a ton of pressure in the backcourt, resulting in 20 turnovers and 14 steals to keep the Panthers' offense off-balance. Roberts led with 4 steals, and Carpenter and Andy Strow had 3 each.

The Panthers (0-1) top point men were Bryce Whitley with 9 points, Evan Rider had 7, and Corey Williams and Ryan McCullough each added 5.

In the first, the Vikings got 10 points from Carpenter and Roberts scored the game's first 7 points to race out to a 22-6 lead.

The Vikings closed out the last four minutes of the opening frame with a 15-4 run to take control. Campbell started the run with a layup. Carpenter had a layup and a pair of 3-pointers and Corn hit a deep ball from the outside in the closing seconds.

During the second, the scoring picked up for both sides, but Symmes Valley still outscored the Panthers 24-12.

Roberts and Campbell had 8 points during the quarter to lead the Vikings.

The Vikings pushed their lead to it's largest of the game of 42-12 following a put back by Campbell with 2:16 before halftime.

Symmes Valley led 46-18 at the break.

In the second half, Roberts led with the final 8 points for the Vikings to end the game, including 2 triples and a coast-to-coast layup. Campbell and Gradee Holland each scored a pair of baskets.

The Vikings will be at home again on Friday again Green.

Ports. Clay 6 12 8 16 = 42

Sym. Valley  22 24 8 14 = 68

PORTSMOUTH CLAY (0-1): Noah Woods 0 1 0-0 3, Bryce Whitley 1 2 1-2 9, Cade Munion 0 0 0-0 0, London Sinclair 0 0 0-0 0, Corey Williams 2 0 1-2 5, Evan Rider 1 1 2-4 7, Colby Secrist 0 0 0-0 0, Jackson Hannon 0 0 0-0 0, Eli Bailey 1 0 1-2 3, Ryan McCullough 1 1 0-0 5, Brandon Jones 2 2-3 6. Totals: 10 5 7-13 42. Rebounds: (O-7,D-13) 20 (Woods 4, Munion 4, Jones 3). Assists: 8 (Rider 3, Bailey 2). Steals: 13 (Bailey 4, Munion 2, Rider 2). Totals: 16 4 2-8 38. Turnovers: 20. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: Corey Williams (5:26, 4th).

SYMMES VALLEY (1-0): Key Roberts 3 5 2-3 23, Andy Strow 0 0 0-0 0, Mason Campbell 7 0 0-0 14, Gradee Holland 2 0 0-0 4, Logan Simpkins 0 1 2-3 5, Bronx Carpenter 4 2 0-0 14, Tanner Corn 1 1 1-2 6, Zayne Wilson 0 0 0-0 0, Braydon Mills 0 0 0-0 0, Tucker Ross 1 0 0-0 2. Totals: 18 9 5-8 68. Rebounds: (O-12, D-24) 36 (Corn 8, Roberts 7, Carpenter 7). Assists: 13 (Carpenter 6, Simpkins 3, Holland 2). Steals: 14 (Roberts 4, Strow 3, Carpenter 3). Turnovers: 20. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.