By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Hot-shooting Kenton drained 18 three-point baskets and cruised to a 94-32 win at Hardin County rival Ada in non-league girls basketball action Saturday afternoon.
The purple and gold drop to 2-9 with the defeat, while the Lady Wildcats improved to 7-3 after the lopsided win.
Speedy Kenton reeled off three big runs totaling 44-0 in the first half, and the outcome was never in question. The Wildcats stayed on target all game as they drained nine trifectas in both halves.
"They made a bunch of three's," said fourth-year Bulldog head coach Bill Taflinger. "Our best defense is a 2-3 zone, but we have to get out to cover up the shooters. But they still have to make the three's.
"They got going early with a three-point barrage and it got out of hand quickly," he continued. "It snowballed from there. Kenton has a nice team with a lot of seniors who play well together."
Quick Wildcat senior guard Haylee Bushing made two steals and nailed consecutive triples early to give Kenton an 8-1 lead. Kori Barrett canned another trey to highlight a 16-0 run that gave the Wildcats an 18-1 bulge.
Ada junior guard Raina England ended the spurt by nailing a lane bank shot. Senior teammate Anney Archer followed by sinking a short banker to make it 18-5 at the 2:15 mark.
Bulldog senior Teara Coulson swished a left corner trifecta to pull the hosts within 23-8 after one period of play.
Barrett opened the second stanza by drilling a left wing triple. Jenna Manns then took over, canning three straight treys in a 67-second span to highlight a 16-0 flurry.
Ada senior Maddie Gossard drained a left wing trey to cut the deficit to 41-11. Kenton then went on a 10-0 spurt, capped by a left corner three, the ninth Wildcat triple of the half, from Ellie Miller.
Gossard knocked down a short bank shot and Miranda Wills sank a lane shot shortly before the buzzer to make it 51-15 at intermission.
Barrett picked up where Kenton left off to start the third period, nailing a left wing trey. Coulson answered with a basket, but Kenton ran off nine unanswered points, led by a Miller corner triple. Gossard scored to stop the run.
Two more trifectas by Manns extended it to 69-19 before Anney Archer scored a layup in transition. A Lindsey Smith basket made it 71-21 heading to the fourth period.
Bushong continued the three-point barrage by hitting a trey to open the fourth stanza. Barrett made a transition layup. Coulson splashed a triple from Gossard to make it 76-24.
Barrett sank two more trifectas, while Bushong buried her fourth triple and a fast break layup for an 87-24 bulge. Sophomore reserve guard Sidney Plott drilled a left corner trey, then fed Smith for a transition layup.
Wills scored for Ada to stop the 16-0 run. Gossard splashed a three and Smith followed with a putback inside. Wills drilled a right wing trifecta at the buzzer.
Manns came off the bench to lead five Wildcats in double figures with 18 points on six treys. Barrett nailed five triples to score 17. Bushong splashed four three's en route to 14 points. Tudor tallied a dozen points and Miller added 11.
The potent Wildcat bench netted 33 points. Ada had allowed only 26 three-pointers all season heading into the game.
Gossard led Ada with 10 points and seven rebounds. Coulson scored eight and Wills added a career-high seven points off the bench.
Ada canned eight two-point goals and connected on five treys, and converted one of four (25 percent) at the foul line.
Kenton knocked down 18 two-point field goals and 18 triples, and canned four of eight free throws (50 percent).
The Wildcats also won a two-quarter reserve game, 28-10. Wills and Kylie Acheson each scored three for Ada.
Ada 32 (2-9)
M. Gossard 4 0-0 10, Coulson 3 0-0 8, Archer 2 0-2 4, England 1 0-0 2, Conley 0 1-2 1, Wills 3 0-0 7, Rush 0, Light 0, Acheson 0.
Totals: 13/1-2/32. 3-pointers: M. Gossard 2, Coulson 2, Wills 1.
Kenton 94 (7-2)
Miller 3 3-5 11, Plott 2 0-0 5, Holland 1 0-0 2, Barrett 6 0-0 17, Bushong 5 0-0 14, Taylor 3 1-2 7, Tudor 6 0-1 12, Smith 4 0-0 8, Manns 6 0-0 18.
Totals: 36/4-8/94. 3-pointer: Manns 6, Barrett 5, Bushong 4, Miller 2, Plott 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 8 7 6 11 32
Ken 23 28 20 23 94
JV: Kenton 28, Ada 10.
Ada (0-6 home) hosts former league foe Perry (0-7) Tuesday, January 9 in a varsity-only contest at 7 p.m. The Commodores are coached by former Waynesfield mentor Ted Patton.
"We have to get better," said Taflinger. "The 2-3 is our best defense, so we have to learn to get out on the shooters better."
