By Cort Reynolds
ADA__The Ada High School boys basketball team lost 54-43 to Lincolnview in their last Northwest Conference contest and home season finale Friday, February 23.
The Bulldogs committed 24 costly turnovers, which prevented them from getting into any rhythm or flow on offense. Ada was never really out of the game, but didn’t take advantage of late Lancer turnovers to make it closer than 10 down the stretch.
Lincolnview won the middle quarters 23-13 to help offset an 18-15 fourth stanza by the Bulldogs.
Ada dropped to 4-17 overall and 0-8 in the NWC as they have gone winless in first league play over the last three seasons. The Bulldogs move to the Blanchard Valley Conference next season after 60 years as a member of the NWC.
The Lancers improved to 5-17 overall and finished 1-7 in the NWC after the win. It was their first victory of 2024, which snapped a 13-game losing skid.
“We turned it over too much and did a poor job of keeping dudes in front of us defensively,” said Bulldog third-year head coach Vince Halliday. “We played really hard, but they shot it better and turned it over less.
“Lincolnview plays a really tough schedule and is better than their record,” he added. “We didn’t capitalize on our chances.”
Ada made 13 turnovers in the first half and was guilty of 11 miscues after intermission. The Bulldogs also did not shoot a second half free throw after attempting 12 in the first period.
“We found a way to pull it out,” said Lancer head coach Brett Hammons. “We had lost 13 in a row, so it was the first time in a while we had the lead at the end. We had about 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter, but we made some free throws and a couple layups at the end.
“The kids played hard, and I am pleased with the win,” he added.
The Lancers jumped to a 4-0 lead as Reide Jackson executed a baseline driving double-pump move for an and-one. Ada got on the scoreboard when senior Gabe Blankenship made a layup 2:45 into the fray.
Cal Evans splashed a triple from out top for an 8-2 Lancer lead.
Ada sophomore Zach Zimmerman split four free throws before Evans sank a driving shot in the lane. Max Hammond drove the left baseline and made a layup to build the lead to eight at the 3:03 mark.
Ada sophomore Kayleb Hickman then sank two foul shots and drained a right corner triple to inch the hosts within 12-9 with 1:50 left in the opening stanza.
Layups by Kreston Tow and Holden Price pushed the Lancer lead back to 16-9. Hustling Levi Green sank three of four foul shots to bring Ada within 16-12 at the end of the period.
Ada hit six of 12 charity stripers in the quarter to stay close.
Lancer post Steve Smith hit a layup and two foul shots to open the second stanza. Evans drove the lane and canned a five-footer, then made a driving layup to cap the 8-0 Lancer run to start the quarter.
Ada freshman Carson Conley knocked down a left wing trey for the only Bulldog basket of the quarter at the 3:06 mark. He then sank a free throw to cut the Ada deficit to 24-16.
Tow drilled a pull-up shot. Hickman later stole the ball and fed Green nicely from a seated position, but his driving layup fell off the rim as he appeared to be fouled.
Tow sped the other direction and made a transition layup just before the halftime horn to put Lincolnview ahead by 12 at intermission.
The four-point swing at the end of the half was a key momentum-changer.
At the start of half two Blankenship and Evans traded three-point goals. Freshman playmaker Kolton Dysert scored off a turnover to bring Ada within 31-21 with 5:45 left in the third period.
Jackson converted a foul shot, and Zimmerman hit a driving shot to edge Ada within nine. Bennett Kill split two free tosses for a 10-point margin. Kill then finished a power layup at the 4:05 juncture.
Kill stole the ball and drove coast-to-coast for a backhanded layup and a 37-23 lead with 3:42 to go. Green scored a layup off a nice head fake.
The Lancers split four foul shots to take a 39-25 advantage to the fourth quarter.
Green drew a charging foul on Jackson, and Dysert also took a charge a moment later to open the final period. Tow made a layin off a nice Kill pass with 6:33 remaining.
Zimmerman splashed a three-pointer with six minutes left to slice the Lancer lead to 41-28.
Sophomore Hickman canned a basket to pull within 11. Tow stole the ball in the backcourt and fed Price for an uncontested layup.
Kill splashed two free tosses, but Gossard drained a left side triple at the 3:22 mark to make it 45-33. Gossard then faked a handoff and drove for a layup at the 2:26 mark.
Ada stole the ball twice in a row, but each time missed rushed trey tries to keep the lead at 10. Hammons split two foul shots with 1:51 left to play.
Kill sank two layups before Dysert drained a long left wing trifecta at the 42-second mark to edge within 50-38. Evans was fouled and made both shots with 32.6 left.
Blankenship splashed a triple from out top 13 seconds later. Evans again hit two charity stripers and Bulldog Ian House bounced in a short shot to close the scoring.
“We played a tough schedule,” said Hammons. It was the first Lancer win since a 54-45 victory at Fort Recovery on December 30.
“They could have won 10 games with a different schedule,” said the Ada coach. “Their kids were stronger, tougher.”
Evans led all players with 16 points. Kill chipped in with a dozen markers, and Tow added eight.
No Bulldog scored in double figures. Blankenship led the Bulldogs with eight points. Zimmerman and Hockman each netted seven points. Green, Gossard and Dysert added five apiece.
Ada played without injured sophomore post Slade Gossman, who tore his ACL in the final seconds of the first half at Leipsic.
Ada sank seven two-point goals and knocked down seven triples. The Bulldogs canned eight of their 13 charity stripe attempts (62 percent).
The Lancers connected on 16 deuces and drilled two treys, both by Evans. The visitors made 16 of 24 free throws (67 percent).
It was the final home game for Bulldog seniors Carson Gossard and Gabe Blankenship.
The Ada junior varsity lost 56-40 to fall to 9-11 this season (0-8 NWC). The Bulldog reserves were led by Wes Mowery with 15 points, while T.J. Griffith added 10.
Lucas Grubb and Gavin Evans tallied a dozen points apiece for the Lancer JVs.
Several crowd members went to the lobby at halftime to watch Ada junior Lily Baumgartner take fourth in the state swim meet at Canton in the 100 backstroke on TV.
Spencerville won its second straight NWC title outright at 8-0 after beating rival Delphos Jefferson 69-36 Friday. Bluffton and Crestview tied for second at 6-2.
Delphos Jeff ended up seventh at 2-6, followed by Lincolnview and Ada.
The Bulldogs visit winless Vanlue (0-19) Saturday, Feb. 24 to conclude the regular season. “They play a lot of 2-3 zone, and it is a difficult stage to play on over there,” Halliday warned.
Ada plays at top seed Lima Central Catholic (20-2) in Div. IV sectional first round action Wednesday, Feb. 28. LCC beat Lima Senior 56-47 in overtime last Saturday night, and edged Arlington 48-44 Friday.
The Thunderbirds have won 10 in a row since a two-game losing skid in mid-season to Delphos St. John’s (58-53) and Spencerville (54-52).
Ada 43 (4-17, 0-8 NWC)
Zimmerman 2 2-4 7, Hickman 2 2-2 7, Dysert 2 0-0 5, Green 1 3-3 5, Blankenship 3 0-0 8, Gossard 2 0-2 5, House 1 0-0 2, Conley 1 1-2 4, Lawrence 0 0-0 0.
Totals: 7-7/8-13/43. 3-pointers: Blankenship 2, Dysert 1, Zimmerman 1, Hickman 1, Conley 1, Gossard 1.
L’view 54 (5-17, 1-7 NWC)
Tow 4 0-0 8, C. Evans 5 4-4 16, Jackson 1 -5 5, G. Evans 0 1-2 1, Hammons 1 1-2 3, Price 2 0-0 4, Kill 4 4-7 12, Smith 1 3-4 5.
Totals: 16-2/16-24/54. 3-pointers: C. Evans 2.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 12 4 9 18 43
Lvw 16 12 11 15 54
JV: L’view 56, Ada 40.
