By Cort Reynolds

SPENCERVILLE - Visiting Ada rallied to knock off Spencerville 48-45 in double overtime in Northwest Conference boys basketball action Friday night.  

The purple and gold improve to 4-14 overall and 2-3 in the NWC with the victory, while the Bearcats fell to 2-13 and 1-4 with the defeat.

Ada outscored Spencerville 21-15 in the second half to tie the contest 38-38 at the end of regulation. Bearcat freshman Dalton Pritchard canned a difficult two-point basket to force a second extra session with the score knotted at 42-all.

But the resilient Bulldogs bounced back to take the second OT 6-3 and win the game to snap a three-game losing skid.

In that second OT, Ada freshman guard Brandon Hull made a clutch basket, followed by a key Connor Frazier field goal. A layup by junior guard Cade Mullins then put the Bulldogs up to stay by the final margin of three.

Ada thus earned its first league win away from home since February 6, 2015 at Bluffton with the hard-fought victory.

"It feels good to get a road league win," said Bulldog second-year head coach Dre White. "And it feels good to a road win this season after going winless so far (now 1-8).

"I was extremely proud of how we finished the game," White continued. "Defensively, we really locked in late in the game and got some big stops."

Ada limited Spencerville to just 22 points over the final 24 minutes.

Senior post Seven Williams scored 10 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to help lead the Bulldogs to the win. Senior guard Ethan Swaney tallied 10 points and dished out six assists. Junior post Frazier led everyone in the low-scoring contest with 14 points.

"Overall, I am very pleased with our effort to step up collectively and get a tough win," White noted. "Pritchard is a heck of a young player, and I am sure he's going to have plenty more big-time shots in his career.

"We grew up tonight and have to build on this momentum going forward," he added.

Ada connected on 17 of 34 two-point field goal tries (50 percent) and hit on three of nine three-pointers (33 percent). Overall, they connected on 20 of 43 floor shots (47 percent).

The Bulldogs converted just five of their 15 free throw attempts (33 percent).

Spencerville sank only 17 of their 50 shots from the field (34 percent), including 13 for 30 on two-pointers (43 percent) and 4 for 20 beyond the arc (20 percent). The Bearcats converted a mere seven of 15 tries from the foul line (47 percent).

Ada got out-rebounded by the Bearcats, 34-26. The Bulldogs committed 13 turnovers to 11 by the hosts.

Jackson Goecke was the lone Bearcat in double figures with 10 points. Ben Dues scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds. Keegan Goecke added eight.

The Bulldog junior varsity also defeated the Bearcats 51-35 to improve to 10-6.

Ada 48 (4-14, 2-3 NWC)

E. Swaney 4-0-10, Mullins 2-1-5, Frazier 7-0-14, Coulson 1-0-2, Williams 2-3-10, Conley 0-1-1, Hull 2-0-4, Z. Swaney 1-0-2, Jordan 0.

Totals: 20-43/5-15/48. 3-pointers (3-9): E. Swaney 2, Williams 1.

Spencerville 45 (2-13, 1-4 NWC)

Arrmstead 0-2-2, Lee 2-0-6, Kline 2-0-5, J. Goecke 4-2-10, K. Goecke 3-2-8, Pritchard 2-0-5, Dues 4-1-9.

Totals: 17-50/7-15/45. 3-pointers (4-20): Lee 2, Kline 1, Pritchard 1.

1 2 3 4 OT OT F

Ada 5 12 9 12 4 6 48

Svl 9 14 5 10 4 3 45

JV: Ada 51, S'ville 35.  

Ada (3-5 home) hosts tough league foe Lincolnview (10-6, 4-1 NWC) Friday, February 9. The Lancers lost at home to arch-rival Crestview Friday night, 59-46.