By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Host Ada got off to a fast start and went on to beat Perry 56-34 in a non-conference girls basketball contest Tuesday evening.
The Lady Bulldogs jumped to a 16-6 lead after the first period as freshman playmaker Courtney Sumner poured in 11 points. Spunky Perry managed to stay within striking distance, down 10 at halftime.
But Ada reeled off 10 unanswered points to begin the third period, and was never threatened again.
The Bulldog girls improved to 5-7 overall with a victory that avenged a 49-43 loss at Perry a month ago. Meanwhile, the Lady Commodores fell to 3-8 with the defeat.
"It helped that we got off to a good start and Courtney came out shooting well," said Ada second-year head coach Morgan Bass. "The good start helped our confidence.
"The girls were excited to face Perry again after playing badly over there," she continued. "We were ready to play and get some revenge."
Sumner knocked down three triples and a driving lefty layup in the first period to spark the Bulldogs. Junior Miranda Wills canned the other two baskets as Ada ended the opening stanza on a 7-0 run to grab a 16-6 lead.
Bulldog junior Kylie Acheson buried a left wing trey to open the second stanza. Wills scored inside off a nice interior feed from Light. Sumner then capped a 14-0 run by finishing a transition layup that gave the hosts a commanding 23-6 lead.
Perry responded with an 9-2 spurt ignited by a bank shot and a trifecta from speedy Tia Barfield. Yet a Megan Light putback and a layup from Kirsten Poling helped Ada sustain a 27-15 lead.
Barfield sank a lane banker to end the half with Perry behind 27-17.
Neither team scored in the first few minutes of the third period. Junior Alexis Waugh then canned a stickback to spark a 10-0 Ada flurry that put the game out of reach.
Wills finished a fast break layup off a Sumner dish, then canned another transition shot at the 3:15 mark. The hustling Wills sank a layin off a nice Acheson feed for her sixth point in a row inside.
Sumner then connected on a driving shot in the lane to cap the run and give Ada a 37-17 cushion. A Perry foul shot stopped the spurt, but Acheson drained another trey to make it 40-18 after the third period.
The purple and gold outscored the visitors 13-1 in the third quarter, holding them without a basket.
The Bulldogs tallied the first six points of the fourth period to extend their lead to 28. Waugh canned a putback, followed by Poling's driving layin and two foul shots from Wills.
Perry senior guard Alyssia Oberlin finished two fast break layups and bagged a triple to cut it to 46-25. A right corner triple and a banked-in trifecta, both by Zierre Thompson, finished an 11-2 Commodore run as they pulled within 46-31.
But Poling alertly stole a pass at midcourt and coasted in for a southpaw layin to stem the rally. Seconds later, Sumner swiped the ball and also finished a breakaway lefty layup for a 52-31 lead with 2:11 to go.
Acheson grabbed a weakside offensive board and scored inside, followed by two Sumner free throws at the 50-second mark.
Commodore reserve Danaisha Patton banked in a 29-footer at the buzzer to end another 10-0 Ada splurge, reducing the final margin of victory to 22.
"We played a 2-3 zone all game instead of man, and I think that bothered them," said Bass. "We also played a lot better transition defense than the last time we met. They got a lot of easy baskets last time by out-hustling us.
"Poling did a good job defensively, and Wills had a real good game," she added. "Everyone wanted that game."
Sumner led all scorers with 19 points, and Wills netted 16. Acheson added a season-high eight points on the strength of two triples.
Barfield topped Perry with nine points, while Oberlin added seven.
The Ada girls sank 22 baskets, including 17 two-pointers and five from three-point range. The Lady Bulldogs canned seven of 20 from the charity stripe (35 percent).
The Commodore girls made 14 field goals, five of which were three-point baskets. Perry converted one of just two at the foul line (50 percent).
Perry won the two-quarter JV game, 20-9. Brook Phillips led the Ada reserves with five points.
Perry 34 (3-8)
Thompson 2 0-0 6, Gurley 0, Miller 0, Oberlin 3 0-0 7, Denson 1 1-2 3, Floyd 3 0-0 6, Barfield 4 0-0 9, Patton 1 0-0 3.
Totals: 14/1-2/34. 3-pointers: Thompson 2, Oberlin 1, Barfield 1, Patton 1.
Ada 56 (5-7)
Sumner 7 2-4 19, Poling 3 0-2 6, Light 1 0-4 2, Acheson 3 0-0 8, Waugh 2 1-2 5, Wills 6 4-8 16, Jordan 0, Phillips 0, Cortez 0.
Totals: 22/7-20/56. 3-pointers: Sumner 3, Acheson 2.
1 2 3 4 F
Per 6 11 1 16 34
Ada 16 11 13 16 56
JV: Perry 20, Ada 9.
Ada (0-3 NWC) hosts Delphos Jefferson (5-7, 1-1 NWC) in a league contest Thursday evening. The Lady Bulldogs are 2-3 at home this season and in search of their first league win.
"Delphos is physical and quick," said Bass. "Matching up with them could be a struggle."
The Lady Wildcats hosted Miller City Tuesday and lost, 50-43.
