By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The perimeter-sniping Arcadia girls basketball club rode two big runs to defeat host Ada 68-34 Tuesday night in a non-conference makeup battle.
The purple and gold fell to 7-14 after their fifth loss in a row, while the Lady Redskins improved to 14-7 with the victory.
Ada starting senior guards Alyssa Vore and Haley Wyss played their final home contests as Bulldogs. Wyss scored a game-high 18 points despite a sore right knee that limited her playing time.
Arcadia shot well from the perimeter to spearhead runs of 16-3 and 17-0 in each half and win convincingly.
"We tried to play a zone and Arcadia hit everything," said Ada third-year head coach Bill Taflinger. "We had to come out of the zone but could not stop them in man to man either."
Redskin sophomore wing Danielle Burnett and Wyss traded three-point goals early as Ada forged a 9-9 tie. Burnett canned a short left baseline shot, yet Wyss splashed another triple to give the purple and gold its last lead at 12-11 with 2:46 to go in the opening stanza.
Arcadia's Haley Kieffer knocked down a baseline 11-footer to put the visitors back on top to stay. Burnett nailed a 19-footer and Logan Ward buried another shot from the top of the key to give the visitors a 17-12 edge after one period.
Redskin senior guard Mariah Monday began the second quarter by hitting a right wing trey. Wyss responded by hitting from behind the arc to make it 20-15.
But Burnett drilled a 17-footer, and Monday swished a shot from 17 feet out. Monday then drained another three to end the 16-3 splurge that gave Arcadia a 27-15 bulge.
"We hung with them early," said Taflinger. "Monday is a nice player."
Vore knocked down a right side trifecta to get Ada within 27-18. Yet the Redskins reeled off six more points in a row on a Taylor Ware basket, as well as hoops by Burnett and Kieffer.
Wyss stopped the spurt with a pair of free throws. Burnett nailed yet another outside shot to give her 13 points just before halftime as Arcadia held a 35-20 margin at intermission.
Ware scored two quick field goals to start the second half, sandwiched around a driving Wyss score. Monday then converted a nice baseline drive, followed by a trey from Wyss.
Monday sank two more baskets in a row and Burnett tallied a driving layup for a 47-25 Redskin lead at the 2:55 mark. Wyss converted a lane runner to cut the lead to 20.
Ware then netted two more goals to end the period with Arcadia comfortably on top, 51-27.
Redskin Emma Saltzmann scored inside and senior guard Ward buried a 17-footer to open the final quarter. Saltzmann hit another short shot and Kieffer sank a layup.
Ward drained a left wing triple and Kayla Brubaker scored to cap a 17-0 Arcadia spurt. Vore split a pair at the line to stop the flurry and make it 64-28.
Megan Mock hit a bank shot, followed by a triple from Maddie Gossard. Bulldog junior guard Teara Coulson canned a foul shot and sophomore reserve guard Raina England knocked down a follow shot to close the scoring.
Ada sank 11 field goals, with six triples. They connected on six of eight at the charity stripe (75 percent). Hot-shooting Arcadia canned 25 baskets, including six treys. The Redskins took only two foul shots and missed both.
Monday led Arcadia with 17 points, while Burnett contributed 15. Ward and Ware added 10 markers apiece for the balanced Redskins.
Ada ended the regular season 4-7 at home.
Arcadia also won a two-quarter reserve contest, 14-5.
Ada 34 (7-14)
M. Gossard 2 2-2 7, Coulson 0 1-2 1, Wyss 6 2-2 18, Vore 1 1-2 4, Archer 1 0-0 2, Newland 0, England 1 0-0 2, Conley 0.
Totals: 11/6-8/34. 3-pointers: Wyss 4, Vore 1, M. Gossard 1.
Arcadia 68 (14-7)
Ward 4 0-0 10, Brubaker 1 0-0 2, Earl 1 0-0 2, Monday 7 0-0 17, Saltzmann 2 0-0 4, Mock 1 0-0 2, Burnett 7 0-0 15, Kieffer 3 0-0 6, Ware 5 0-2 10.
Totals: 25/0-2/68. 3-pointers: Monday 3, Ward 2, Burnett 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 12 8 7 7 34
Arc 17 18 16 17 68
JV: Arcadia 14, Ada 5.
Ada (1-6 NWC) visits Lincolnview (11-10, 3-4 NWC) in the league and regular season finale Thursday night.
"Lincolnview is pretty good," said Taflinger. "They have a couple of girls who can score. They started off the season well."
The Lady Bulldogs then play improved Hardin Northern Tuesday, Feb. 21 in the sectional semifinals at Bath. Ada beat HN 56-43 on January 2, but expects a tough battle in the tournament from their county rival.
