Ada beat Gophers in season opener

By Cort Reynolds

The Ada High School boys basketball team’s season comes full circle to play Hardin County rival Ridgemont in the Div. IV sectional first round Tuesday, February 21 at St. Marys.

Ada (7-11) is seeded eighth in the 12-team sectional, while the Gophers (6-12) are 10th.

The Bulldogs won at Ridgemont in the 2022-23 season opener back on November 25 by a 60-47 score. Ada has won the last two meetings against the Gophers. 

Ridgemont last beat Ada in overtime in the 2020-21 opener at home. The Bulldogs returned the favor in the opener last season in Ada, winning by a point on a Spencer Wall runner at the final buzzer.

The winner advances to face top seed Marion Local (16-3) Friday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. in St. Marys.

USV (13-4) was seeded third in the same half of the bracket at St. Marys. The Rams got a first round bye, and will take on the winner between fifth seed Ft. Recovery (11-8) and 12th seed New Knoxville (2-16) in round two.

The sectional winners advance to the Wapakoneta district semifinals Feb. 28.

Waynesfield (5-13) was seeded 11th and will play sixth seed Perry (9-10) in the first round in the other half of the bracket at Coldwater Feb. 21. 

The W-G/Perry winner will move on to play second seed New Bremen (13-6). The Commodores beat the Tigers 65-56 January 27. 

St. Henry (9-10) is seeded fourth.