By Cort Reynolds
ADA – Playing at home, the Ada High School boys basketball team ran into a hot-shooting Arlington buzzsaw and lost 78-24 Tuesday night, January 23.
The Bulldogs fell to 3-12 with the lopsided loss. The Red Devils improved to 9-5 after the non-conference win.
Ada trailed 20-8 after the first period and 35-13 at halftime. The visitors expanded the advantage to 58-24 heading to the final quarter.
The sizzling Devils then outscored the Bulldogs 20-0 in the fourth period behind four three-point goals.
“Arlington was amped up to erase the bad memory of losing Saturday, and they put it on us for 32 minutes,” said Ada third-year head coach Vince Halliday. “I’m very disappointed.
“Arlington played quality ball, the ball didn’t stick,” he continued. “We dribbled too much and turned it over a lot early. We are aspiring to get where they are now, and we aren’t there.”
The Devils led 6-0 out of the gate and never trailed. Freshman playmaker Kolton Dysert scooped in a left-handed layup to get Ada on the scoreboard 2:15 into the fray.
Bulldog sophomore Kayleb Hickman splashed a right wing 11-footer to get within 6-4. But Arlington ended the opening period on a 14-4 run to seize command.
Two Arlington triples helped offset a layup and two free throws by Bulldog post Slade Gossman.
Devil Brady Kin’s second trey capped a 10-0 spurt to start the second stanza. Hickman drilled a right wing trifecta to pull Ada within 23-11, but the Falcons closed the half on a 12-2 flurry.
Senior Carson Gossard hit a jump hook for the Bulldogs, sandwiched by two 6-0 Devil spurts, that gave Arlington a 22-point bulge at intermission.
Kin splashed his third trey to open the third period on a 7-0 run. Gossman sank a layin, followed by two Zack Zimmerman free throws and a left side 14-footer by Levi Green.
Gossman made another bunny and senior Gabe Blankenship splashed a right wing triple with a second left in the quarter for Ada.
But Arlington scored seven layups and Vermillion sank another triple in the period to forge a 58-24 lead after three quarters.
Vermillion continued the three-point barrage by opening the fourth period with a trey from the top of the key. A follow shot and another layup by 6-7 sophomore Calvin Willow helped the Devils extend their lead to 43.
Things went so badly for Ada in the final period that their lone point, a successful foul shot by Carson Gossard, was negated by a lane violation.
Arlington reserves drained three more triples in the final four minutes to end the game on a 20-0 spurt.
“Ugh,” summed up Halliday.
Sophomore Gossman led Ada with eight points. Hickman added five markers.
Arlington placed three players in double figures, and five other Devils scored from five to nine points. Kin led all players with 16 points, while Vermillion and Cavinee added a dozen markers apiece.
The Bulldogs connected on seven two-pointers and drained a pair of triples.
Ada converted four of eight shots from the charity stripe (50 percent).
Arlington canned 20 two-pointers and sank 10 treys. The Devils converted eight of 10 from the free throw line (80 percent). Arlington drilled more triples than Ada made total field goals (10-9).
The Bulldog reserves lost 60-24 to drop the Ada JV record to 8-7. Andrew Allen led Ada with eight points, while T.J. Griffith added seven markers.
Ada (0-4 NWC) is idle until they play host to league foe Crestview (10-5, 2-2 NWC) Friday, February 2. The Bulldogs then visit North Baltimore (5-6) Feb. 3.
Ada 24 (3-12)
Zimmerman 0 2-2 2,
Hickman 2 0-0 5,
Dysert 1 0-0 2,
Green 1 0-0 2,
Blankenship 1 0-0 3,
Gossard 1 0-1 2,
House 0 0-0 0,
Conley 0 0-0 0,
Gossman 3 2-3 8,
Griffith 0 0-0 0.
Totals: 7-2/4-8/24. 3-pointers: Hickman 1, Blankenship 1.
Arl. 78 (9-5)
Vermillion 3 3-4 12,
Kin 6 1-1 16,
Russell 4 1-2 9,
Griggs 3 1-1 8,
Heacock 2 0-0 5,
Metzger 1 0-0 3,
Frysinger 3 0-0 7,
Cavinee 5 2-2 12,
Willow 3 0-0 6.
Totals: 20-10/8-10/78. 3-pointers: Vermillion 3, Kin 3, Russell 1, Heacock 1, Metzger 1, Frysinger 1.
SCOREBOARD
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| ADA | 8 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 24 |
| ARL | 20 | 15 | 23 | 20 | 78 |
JV: Arlington 60, Ada 24.
Ada lawyer and county judge Greg Grimslid was recognized before the game for being voted into the Hardin County Athletics Hall of Fame.
