By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Seventeen days after their first meeting, the final result was similar between backyard rivals Upper Scioto Valley and Ada in a Monday night makeup contest.
The visiting Rams shot the lights out again to win their annual non-league boys hoop grudge match convincingly, 72-37. The game was originally slated for Jan. 12 before being snowed out.
Red-hot USV raced to a 26-9 margin after one period and stretched the advantage to 45-21 by intermission. The Rams led by as many as 40 points before Ada closed the game on a 7-2 run.
The purple and gold fell to 2-10 with the defeat, while the Rams improved to 9-3 with the lopsided victory. Eventual Border Battle champion USV also won the previous meeting Dec. 28 at Ada in the semifinals of the tournament, 58-33.
USV senior Wayne Lowery netted 20 of his game-high 23 points in the first half Monday night. Classmate Wyatt Daniels drained three of his five triples in the first period en route to 18 points to help lead the blowout.
"USV is a heck of a team," said third-year Bulldog head coach Dre White. "They shot it well and have five starters who can all score 20 on any given night.
"We didn't rebound worth a dang and they rebounded well," he continued. "We had our hands full. Our Achilles heel all year has been scoring. But 72 points is the most we have given up all season."
USV out-rebounded Ada, 46-29.
Ada junior wing Phillip Coulson led the Bulldogs with 11 points. Senior post Connor Frazier contributed seven points and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Zac Swaney drained two treys for six points.
Ram junior post Quinn Sanders added 11 markers.
Cold Ada hit on nine of 31 two-point tries (29 percent) and sank four of 15 triples (27 percent) for 13 of 46 shooting overall (28 percent). The Bulldogs were successful on seven of 12 attempts at the charity stripe (58 percent).
USV canned 29 of 53 field goals (55 percent), including seven of 17 treys and a sizzling 22 for 36 inside the arc (61 percent). The Rams converted seven of nine foul shots (78 percent).
The black and red committed 11 turnovers to just six miscues by Ada.
USV also won the reserve contest, 37-23. Ty Miller led the Bulldog reserves with eight points. Ram junior Evan Thompson paced USV with 11 points.
Ada 37 (2-10)
Mullins 1 1-4 3, Frazier 3 1-2 7, Hall 0, Coulson 5 0-0 11, Hull 0, Swaney 2 0-0 6, Miller 0 3-4 3, Cook 1 2-2 5, Paul 1 0-0 2, Gautier 0.
Totals: 13-46/7-12/37. 3-pointers (4-15): Swaney 2, Coulson 1, Cook 1.
USV 72 (9-3)
D. Thompson 2 1-2 6, C. Sanders 2 0-0 4, Lowery 10 3-3 23, Daniels 6 1-2 18, Overs 3 0-0 7, Q. Sanders 5 1-1 11, K. Rohrs 1 1-1 3.
Totals: 29-53/7-9/72. 3-pointers (7-17): Daniels 5, D. Thompson 1, Overs 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 9 12 8 8 37
USV 26 19 16 11 72
JV: USV 37, Ada 23.
Ada (0-5 road) plays two away games this weekend. The Bulldogs (1-1 NWC) visit league pre-season favorite Crestview (9-1, 2-1 NWC) Friday, and then travel to take on county rival Hardin Northern (2-8) Saturday night.
"We have to keep working at it, get stronger and shoot better," said White. "We all know how good Crestview is with Kline, the Etzler brothers and Sheets. We have to be extremely good defensively and find a way to score against them.
"As for Hardin Northern, it is always fun to go over there and play," he added.
