By Cort Reynolds
KENTON - The rusty Ada girls basketball team lost 44-33 at Hardin County rival Kenton Saturday in their first game of 2021.

Playing for the first time in 16 days, the Lady Bulldogs scored just 11 first half points but managed to hang within five points by intermission.

Kenton extended the lead to 10 heading to the fourth quarter, and basically held that margin to win by 11.

"I thought defensively we played pretty well as far as sticking to the game plan," said Ada third-year head coach Morgan Bass. "I just don't think we believe that we can win."

The purple and gold fell to 2-6 with the defeat, while Kenton improved to 3-5 with the win. 
     
Sophomore playmaker Courtney Sumner and senior post Miranda Wills  paced Ada with eight points apiece.    

Freshman guard Olivia Burkhart contributed seven markers and one triple.

"Offensively we didn't have anyone looking to score except for about two kids," Bass lamented.

Wildcat Lindsey Smith led all players with 14 points. Mackenzie Bays tallied 10 points and Jenna Manns added nine markers.     

The Lady Bulldogs sank 11 field goals, hitting nine two-pointers and a pair of shots from three-point land. The Bulldogs converted just nine of 21 foul shots (43 percent).

"Free throws hurt us too," said Bass. "We lost by 11 and missed 12 free throws."

The Wildcat girls canned 18 field goals, including 16 two-pointers and two treys. Kenton converted only six of 15 free throw attempts (40 percent). 

Kenton also won the reserve contest, 48-20.    

Ada 33 (2-6)
Sumner 1 5-10 8, Poling 1 2-5 4, Burkhart 3 0-0 7, Light 2 0-0 4, Waugh 0, Wills 3 2-6 8, Acheson 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 9-2/9-21/33. 3-pointers: Sumner 1, Burkhart 1.

Kenton 44 (3-5)    
G. Wetherill 1 0-0 2, Hildreth 3 0-1 6, L. Wetherill 0, Heilman 0 1-2 1, Harpel 1 0-0 2, Manns 3 2-3 9, Smith 6 2-4 14, Bays 4 1-5 10. 
Totals: 16-2/6-15/44. 3-pointers: Manns 1, Bays 1.
 
    1    2    3    4    F
Ada    5    6     11    11    33                
Kent    11    5    16    12    44            
JV: Kenton 48, Ada 20. 

Ada (1-2 NWC) plays at second-place league foe Delphos Jefferson (9-2, 2-0 NWC) Thursday evening, January 7 in a conference battle.

"Delphos is on the rise and has some pretty good young players," said Bass. "We will need to be ready to go."

The Bulldogs then host McComb (3-1) in a non-league matchup Saturday afternoon, Jan. 9.