By Cort Reynolds

The Ada boys basketball team lost 65-38 to hot-shooting Marion Local in the Div. IV sectional finals on Friday night, February 24, at St. Marys.

The Bulldogs finished 10-14 after the season-ending defeat. Seventh-ranked state power ML advanced to the district semifinals with a 19-4 record.

Ada trailed 23-10 after the first period. The Bulldogs fell further behind by 42-17 at halftime as the top-seeded Flyers put on a long-distance shooting display. 

ML bombed in nine of their 12 three-point goals before intermission to build a commanding 25-point margin.

"Marion Local simply shot it too well," said second-year Bulldog head coach Vince Halliday. “They made nine three's in the first half."

ML sank a tenth triple to open the second half. Ada senior guard Spencer Wall drained a trey to cut it to 49-25. Bulldog senior Jaden Leal canned a trifecta to slice the deficit further to 21.

Flyer Tate Hess completed a conventional three-point play. Ada senior Ethan Murphy connected on a three and a jump hook to make the score 52-30 after three periods of play.

The Bulldogs won the third stanza, 13-10. The second half was a close 23-21 tally.

The Flyers hit from deep to open the final quarter. Leal scored off a cut, followed by a Murphy basket that made it 55-36 midway through the fourth quarter.

ML's Luke Pohlman answered by drilling a triple. Senior Carter Conley canned a deuce for Ada, his last basket, before subbing out.

Senior Murphy led Ada with 14 points. Leal tallied 10 markers. Wall netted seven points, while Conley added four. Classmate Grant Preston chipped in with three points.

Jayden Mescher led ML with 16 points on the strength of four triples. Flyer senior Hess notched 11 points with two treys.

Pohlman netted 11 markers behind three trifectas. 

“The foundation has been laid,” said Halliday. “Nine seniors are moving on, and I wish them nothing but the best. Now we need to build.”

The Bulldogs sank 16 shots overall from the field, including 10 two-pointers and six trifectas. 

The Bulldogs converted no foul shot attempts. The Flyers canned seven of 12 from the charity stripe (58 percent). 

The Flyers sank 23 field goals. Eleven of their baskets came inside the arc, while they drained a dozen three-point goals. 

“We had a great group of guys who did everything we asked of them,” summed up Halliday. "We sure would have liked to have won some more games, but we have laid the foundation and now need to build with the younger guys."

Nine seniors played their final game for Ada - Conley, Murphy, Wall, Leal, Preston, Jayden Bankston, Casen Jones, Jacob Sutherly and Gage Hoffer.

ML is now 4-0 vs. Ada all-time in the tournament. Their closest tourney encounter was a 51-49 Flyer victory over the Bulldogs, won on a last-second shot in the 1981 district finals at Lima Senior.

Ada 38 (10-14)

Wall 3 0-0 7, Sutherly 0 0-0 0, Conley 2 0-0 4, Leal 4 0-0 10, Preston 1 0-0 3, Murphy 6 0-0 14, Jones 0 0-0 0, Hoffer 0 0-0 0, Gossard 0 0-0 0, Hickman 0 0-0 0, Blankenship 0 0-0 0, Zimmerman 0 0-0 0. 

Totals: 10-6/0-0/38. 3-pointers: Murphy 2, Leal 2, Preston 1, Wall 1.

ML 65 (19-4)

Niekamp 2 0-0 5,  Ranly 3 0-0 7, Eyink 1 1-3 4, L. Pohlman 4 0-0 11, Homan 1 0-0 3, Hess 4 2-2 11, Mescher 5 2-4 16, Otte 1 0-0 3, A. Pohlman 0 2-2 2, Ungruhn 2 0-1 4.

Totals: 11-12/7-12/65. 3-pointers: Mescher 4, L. Pohlman 3, Homan 1, Ranly 1, Otte 1, Niekamp 1, Hess 1, Eyink 1.

1 2 3 4 F

Ada 10 7 13 8 38

ML 23 19 10 13 65