By Cort Reynolds
ADA__The inexperienced Ada boys basketball team rallied late but lost a tough 49-42 battle to visiting Perry Saturday night, December 16.
The young Bulldogs fell to 0- 5 overall with the non-league defeat.
The Commodores improved to 3-2 with the victory.
Ada scored 20 third-period points to inch within 37-35 heading to the fourth stanza.
Neither team made a basket for the first 5:28 of the tense final period until Marcus Hill broke free and made three straight layins for Perry.
The spunky Bulldogs clawed back within 46-42 after a steal and layup by Ian House with 18 seconds left, but could get no closer.
“I am really happy with our effort,” said Ada third-year head coach Vince Halliday. “Daniel hurt us on the offensive boards.
“Their four seniors got to the paint, drew contact and finished,” he noted.
Bulldog sophomore guard Kayleb Hickman stole the ball and drove coast to coast for a layup to open the game.
A lane floater by Zach Zimmerman gave Ada its last lead at 7-6 with 44 ticks remaining in the opening stanza. Senior Za’Mere Daniel hit the first two of his 11 free throws to put Perry ahead 8-7 after the first quarter.
Daniel then made three offensive putbacks and a fast break layup early in the second period. Ethan Lawerence drained a left wing trey for Ada, and Zimmerman splashed a triple off a nice Hickman steal and assist to inch within 16-13 with 4:44 left before intermission.
An eight-footer and two foul shots by Daniel were answered by freshman Carson Conley’s driving banker.
The 6-3 Daniel scored 14 of the 16 Perry points in the second period to give the visitors a 24-15 lead at the half.
“We had no answer for Daniel,” said Halliday, whose young team played a zone defense all game.
Zimmerman nailed a left wing trifecta to open the second half. Conley knocked down a three from the left side moments later.
Hickman drained a 15-footer and Slade Gossman finished a post-up layin off a Kolton Dysert feed to edge Ada within 28-25 midway through the third.
Conley banked in a shot after a nice ball fake, but then Perry reeled off five quick points.
Zimmerman splashed another trey to cut the deficit to 35-30. Dysert later converted a floating bank shot three-point drive.
“Zack got it going a bit in the third, he knocked down some three’s,” said Halliday.
Ada senior Gabe Blankenship spun and nailed a 10-footer just before the period buzzer to pull the Bulldogs within 37-35 after three.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter until a Perry foul shot with 4:29 remaining. Hill then slashed his way through the Ada zone for two layups and a transition finish to give the Commodores a 44-35 lead.
Two Zimmerman foul shots with 1:33 left got Ada on the board in the final stanza. Hickman sank a tough putback 16 ticks later to cut the lead to five. The young Bulldogs then forced three tough shots on possessions that missed, but they still stayed in contention.
House stole an in-bounds pass and scored immediately to cut the deficit to 46-42. With 14 seconds remaining, Perry split two foul shots. Ada missed and Daniel was fouled.
He made two free tosses to provide the final margin of seven.
“Daniel made his free throws,” said Halliday. “We turned them over a bit in the fourth going with offense and defense substitutions.
“The future is bright, we just have to get experience and get that first win,” he summed up. “It’s going to come.”
Zimmerman led Ada with 13 points. Conley tallied eight and Hickman added six markers.
Former Waynesfield standout Daniel led all scorers with 25 points on seven baskets and 11 of 12 foul shooting. Hill had 11 points to support Daniel.
Ada converted five of its eight shots at the charity stripe (63 percent). The purple and gold canned 11 two-point goals and hit five triples.
Perry sank 17 two-pointers but hit no treys. The visiting Commodores converted 15 of 21 from the free throw line (71 percent).
“They outscored us 15 to five at the line and took 13 more free throws,” Halliday pointed out. “That is strength and experience.”
Ada lost the JV game 56-46 to fall to 3-2. T.J. Griffith led the Bulldogs with 16 points, and Andrew Allen tallied 13.
Ada 42 (0-5)
Oldfield 0, Zimmerman 4 2-2 13, Hickman 3 0-0 6, Conley 3 1-3 8, Dysert 1 2-3 4, Green 0, Blankenship 1 0-0 2, Gossard 0, House 1 0-0 2, Lawrence 1 0-0 3, Gossman 2 0-0 4.
Totals: 11-5/5-8/42. 3-pointers: Zimmerman 3, Conley 1, Lawrence 1.
Perry 49 (3-2)
Hill 5 1-3 11, Nanchoff 0 2-4 2, Daniel 7 11-12 25, Scott 2 0-0 4, Thomas 2 0-0 4, Cobb 1 0-0 2, Shively 0 1-2 1.
Totals: 17-0/15-21/49. 3-pointers: none.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 7 8 20 7 42
Per 8 16 13 12 49
JV: Perry 56, Ada 46.
Ada (0-4 home) hosts New Knoxville (2-3) Tuesday, December 19 as they play their sixth home game out of seven to start the season.
