By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Visiting Paulding took advantage of its size inside to outscore Ada 38-20 over the middle quarters and pull away to a 68-41 victory in Northwest Conference girls basketball action Thursday night.
The Lady Bulldogs fell to 4-12 overall and 0-5 in the NWC with the defeat, while the Lady Panthers improved to 5-12 and 2-4 in league play with the win.
Ada led 19-18 5:53 early in the second stanza after senior Maddie Gossard sank her fourth consecutive three-pointer. But then Paulding closed the half on a 14-3 run to take control, and never was headed.
"A run like that will do it to you," said fourth-year Ada head coach Bill Taflinger. "They guarded Maddie a lot better after her fourth three."
Paulding jumped out to an 11-5 lead after senior guard Audrey Manz drained three straight trifectas over the 2-3 Bulldog zone.
Ada senior Anney Archer tallied the first seven Bulldog points on a triple, a short jumper and two foul shots. "Anney had a good start," Taflinger noted.
Gossard sank a right wing triple, then splashed a trey from the top of the key to pull Ada within 15-13 after one period of play.
Gossard continued her hot shooting beyond the arc by hitting a left wing three to open the second quarter, giving the purple and gold its first lead at 16-15.
After Panther Jalynn Parrett nailed a trifecta, Gossard hit her fourth trey to cap a personal 12-point run and give Ada a 19-18 edge at the 5:53 mark. But it turned out to be the last Bulldog lead as Parrett started the 14-3 run with another trey.
Briana Townley, a 5-11 southpaw post, then scored four consecutive baskets inside to give Paulding a 30-22 lead. Ada junior Rilan Conley split a pair of foul shots to stop Townley's personal 8-0 spurt.
But Manz drained her fourth triple of the half to give Paulding a 33-22 cushion at the break.
"The three's by Manz hurt," said Taflinger. "We wanted to take away their inside game, but her shooting opened up the interior."
A steal and layup by Kaylen Hale started the second half scoring. A layin by 5-11 senior post Cassidy Posey extended the margin to 37-22 and capped an 18-3 splurge.
Archer scored the first Ada points of the half on a lane runner at the 5:33 mark. Ada junior Raina England then sank a fast break layup 22 seconds later to pull within 11.
Posey responded by sinking a putback layin, followed by a trey from Sydney McCullough. Gossard nailed her fifth triple to make it 42-29 at the 3:40 juncture.
Posey knocked in a short bank shot, and England drilled a 10-foot lane stickback. Townley then powered inside for two more baskets. Gossard sank an eight-footer, yet Manz drained a right corner triple.
Panther freshman Sadie Estle, a 6-0 post, scored inside to make it 53-33 heading to the final period. "We tried to take away the high post pass, but once they got it there we were in trouble on the (ensuing) lob inside," said Taflinger.
Conley netted a layup to open the fourth quarter. Estle canned three foul shots and a layin as Paulding stretched ahead by 60-36.
Archer drove the right baseline hard and banked in a short shot. Classmate Teara Coulson later sank a free toss, but Estle muscled inside for three more field goals to build a 68-39 cushion.
Gossard converted two foul shots to end the scoring and provide the final margin of 27. After a close first period, Paulding outscored Ada 53-28 over the final 24 minutes.
On the strength of five treys, Gossard led all scorers with 19 points. Archer contributed 14 points with three steals.
Townley topped Paulding with 16 points while Manz added 15, all on five triples. Estle added 11 markers in limited play.
Ada connected on 14 of 45 from the field (31 percent) and sank six treys. The Bulldogs converted seven of 16 foul shots (44 percent). Ada sank six of 21 beyond the arc (28 percent), with Gossard knocking down five of 13 trey tries.
Gossard led the hosts with five of their 16 rebounds. England dished out six assists.
The Panthers sank 19 two-pointers among their 27 field goals, and converted six of 13 (46 percent) from the charity stripe.
Paulding also won the two-quarter JV contest, 24-5.
Ada 41 (4-12, 0-5 NWC)
Gossard 7 2-2 19, Coulson 0 1-2 1, Archer 5 3-8 14, England 2 0-0 4, Wills 0, Rush 0, Conley 1 1-4 3.
Totals: 14-45/7-16/41. 3-pointers (6-21): M. Gossard 5, Archer 1.
Paulding 68 (5-12, 2-4 NWC)
Parrett 2 0-0 6, Manz 5 0-0 15, Hale 2 1-2 5, Arellano 1 0-0 2, Estle 4 3-7 11, McCullough 2 0-0 5, Townley 7 2-2 16, Posey 3 0-2 6, Egnor 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 27/6-13/68. 3-pointers: Manz 5, Parrett 2, McCullough 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 13 9 11 8 41
Pau 15 18 20 15 68
JV: Paulding 24, Ada 5.
Ada (1-8 home) continues its five-game stretch of home games by hosting local non-league arch-rival USV (4-10) Tuesday, January 30.
"Hopefully we will have all our players back and healthy," Taflinger said
