By Cort Reynolds
KENTON - Host Kenton blew open a close game with a 19-3 second period and rolled to a 73-41 win over Hardin County rival Ada in non-conference boys basketball play Saturday night.
The purple and gold drop to 3-14 with the defeat, while the Wildcats improve to 9-5 after the victory.
Ada trailed by only two late in a high-scoring first period. But then Kenton reeled off 16 unanswered points to take control, and the hosts were never threatened again.
"We came out of the gates well, which was good to see after our slow start the night before (at Paulding)," said Ada second-year head coach Dre White. "In the second quarter, Kenton picked up the intensity and we didn't handle it well.
"Five games in nine days is tough on the guys," he added.
Bulldog senior Seth Conley scored seven early points, and junior post Connor Frazier knocked down four field goals as Ada sank eight of 13 from the field in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs actually led briefy 11-7 after a Conley putback and a Frazier basket. Yet Kenton tallied the next nine points, taking the lead on a Landon Rush transition layup at 12-11, and never trailed again.
Conley drilled a corner three-pointer and Frazier netted a hoop inside to inch Ada within 20-18. But then the Wildcats seized command.
Sophomore Rush nailed a trifecta with 15 seconds left to give Kenton a 23-18 edge after one quarter. Wildcat 6-3 junior Jaron Sharp scored nine points in the stanza.
Sharp opened the second stanza with an old-fashioned three-point play. Next, Sharp sank a layup and Rush nailed a wing triple as Kenton turned up its defensive pressure.
Wildcat freshman Jayden Cornell canned two foul shots and he then drained a trey off a steal to cap the decisive 16-0 run, which gave Kenton a 36-18 bulge.
Ada senior Seven Williams stopped the flurry with a foul shot, yet Kenton scored two more inside baskets. Frazier knocked in a putback at the 1:22 mark for the lone Bulldog bucket of the period, in which they missed seven of eight from the field and made six turnovers.
Wildcat reserve Trent Lawrence sank a stickback just before the horn to double up Ada 42-21 at intermission.
Sophomore wing Phillip Coulson canned a drive to open the third period for Ada. Yet Sharp countered with eight straight Kenton points. Williams made a putback and Ethan Swaney buried his second triple to make it 51-28 inside the five-minute mark.
A Tye Sherman runner and another Sharp offensive rebound basket capped a 7-0 Wildcat mini-run. Swaney stopped the spurt with a driving layin to make it 56-30 heading to the final stanza.
Kenton continued its hot shooting as they ran off the first 11 points of the fourth quarter. A Lawrence trey capped the flurry with six minutes remaining.
Coulson converted two foul shots and Xavier Hollinger drained a trifecta for Ada. Swaney's corner triple and three more Coulson points provided the final margin of 32.
Sharp led all scorers with 25 points and he also pulled down nine caroms. Rush tallied 14 points while Cornell added 11 markers and five assists.
Frazier scored all 10 of his points in the first half. Ethan Swaney led Ada with 11 points and three assists. Williams topped the Bulldogs with nine rebounds.
Ada found the net on 11 of its 29 two-point field goal tries (38 percent), and they splashed five of 18 three-point attempts (28 percent). Overall, the purple and gold connected on 16 of 47 floor shots (34 percent).
The Bulldogs converted four of eight from the foul line (50 percent).
Kenton sank 27 of 51 from the field (53 percent), including red-hot 21 for 34 accuracy on two-pointers (62 percent). The hosts sank six of 17 beyond the arc (35 percent). The Wildcats also canned 13 of 17 from the foul line (76 percent).
Kemton committed 11 turnovers while Ada was guilty of 20 costly errors. The Wildcats out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 32-26.
"We must continue to work on taking care of the basketball and rebounding," said White. "We make it tough on ourselves to win by failing to do those things."
The Bulldog junior varsity also lost 49-41 to drop to 9-6.
Ada 41 (3-14)
E. Swaney 4 0-0 11, Frazier 5 0-2 10, Coulson 2 3-4 7, Conley 3 0-0 7, Williams 1 1-2 3, Hollinger 1-0-3, Z. Swaney 0, Conrad 0, Mullins 0, Hall 0, Zimmerly 0.
Totals: 16-37/4-8/41. 3-pointers (5-18): E. Swaney 3, Conley 1, Hollinger 1.
Kenton 73 (9-5)
Sharp 10 3-3 25, Rush 5 2-2 14, Cornell 4 2-4 11, Eversole 1 1-1 3, Fackler 0 2-2 2, Cook 2 2-2 6, Lawrence 2 0-0 5, Sherman 3 0-1 6, Ellis 0 1-2 1, Manns 0.
Totals: 27-51/13-17/73. 3-pointers (6-17): Sharp 2, Rush 2, Lawrence 1, Cornell 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 18 3 9 11 41
Ken 23 19 14 17 73
JV: Kenton 49, Ada 41.
Ada (0-8 road, 1-3 NWC) visits struggling Spencerville (2-12, 1-3 NWC) Friday evening, February 2.
"I am looking forward to a minor break before re-entering NWC play," said White of the recent busy schedule. "We have a big one on the road at Spencerville Friday. They are young, but are playing better of late and will be prepared."
