By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Visiting Bluffton authored two big first half runs to build a comfortable lead and never looked back in posting a 61-26 win over Ada in the Northwest Conference girls basketball opener Thursday evening.
The purple and gold fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the NWC with the defeat, while the Lady Pirates improved to 4-1 and 1-0 in league play after the win.
Ada crept within 18-12 late in the first period after a 12-footer by freshman Miranda Wills. Next, Pirate post Libby Schoodt sank a putback with a second left in the opening stanza.
Bluffton then reeled off the first 16 points of the second period to build an insurmountable 36-12 advantage. The 16-3 Pirate margin in the quarter proved too much to overcome.
"Bluffton has some good players," said fourth-year Bulldog head coach Bill Taflinger. "We didn't handle their press well, and that put us behind the eight ball. You have to be sharp against the really good teams."
An early 11-0 Pirate splurge, with junior guard Alivia Koenig scoring eight markers on the strength of two triples, gave the visitors a 13-2 lead. Bulldog senior Teara Coulson ended the first Bluffton run by nailing a 13-foot pull-up shot from the left side.
Maddie Gossard and Anney Archer each drained a right wing trey to pull the hosts within 16-10. After two Pirate free throws, Wills hit her shot to cut the Ada deficit to 18-12 before the Pirates took over with the 18 unanswered points.
"We hung with them for a while before their press started to hurt us," said Taflinger.
Ada committed 12 of its 20 turnovers in the first half before Bluffton pulled off their press after intermission.
Five different Pirates scored in the decisive flurry, capped by an Averey Rumer triple with 3:23 left in the half. A steal and bank shot by senior Archer ended the 18-0 spurt for the first Bulldog points 5:30 into the second stanza.
Ada junior Rilan Conley hit a foul shot to make it 36-15 at the half. A driving layup and two free throws by Koenig opened half two, followed by a Kayla White layup.
Gossard tallied all seven Bulldog points in the third quarter on a layup, a short bank shot and a left wing trey to make it 47-22 heading to the fourth period.
Koenig and White sped their way to layins to start the final stanza before Archer answered with her own layup. Five different Pirates then scored in a 10-0 run.
Ada freshman Megan Light canned a short bank shot with 15 seconds remaining to provide the final margin of 35.
Koenig led all players with 17 points, while Schoodt added 10 and Rumer netted nine.
Gossard topped Ada with 10 points and five rebounds. Archer contributed nine points and five steals, while the hustling Conley grabbed six rebounds.
Bluffton sank 24 field goals, including seven treys, and canned six of 10 from the charity stripe. Ada made eight two-point goals and three triples, and connected on one of their mere two free throw tries.
"All we can do is work hard to get better at shooting and handling pressure better," Taflinger summed up. "We pretty much have to do everything better."
Ada 26 (1-2, 0-1 NWC)
M. Gossard 4 0-0 10, Coulson 1 0-0 2, Archer 4 0-0 9, England 0, Conley 0 1-2 1, Wills 1 0-0 2, Light 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 11/1-2/26. 3-pointers: M. Gossard 2, Archer 1.
Bluffton 61 (4-1, 1-0 NWC)
B. Garmatter 1 0-0 3, White 3 0-0 6, Prater 3 0-0 7, Rumer 3 1-2 9, L. Garmatter 2 2-2 6, Ackerman 0 1-2 1, Eachus 1 0-0 2, Koenig 6 2-2 17, Schoodt 5 0-2 10.
Totals: 24/6-10/61. 3-pointers: Koenig 3, Rumer 2, B. Garmatter 1, Prater 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 12 3 7 4 26
Bluf 20 16 11 14 61
No JV game.
Up next in a new addition to the schedule, Ada (0-2 home) entertains tough county foe Riverdale in a non-league matchup Tuesday, Dec. 12.
"Riverdale has a very good program, they went to regionals last year in Div. III," Taflinger noted.
BOTTOM PHOTO:
Ada senior Teara Coulson follows through on a three-point try
