By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__The visiting Ada High School boys basketball team lost 71-35 to local rival Bluffton in a Northwest Conference bout Friday night, January 5.

The Bulldogs dropped to 2-8 overall and 0-2 in the NWC with the loss.

The Pirates improved to 7-1 and 2-0 in the NWC after the one-sided win.

Ada trailed 20-14 after the first period as Zach Zimmerman splashed three triples. Bluffton junior guard Marek Donaldson scored seven early points.

“Zach kept us in it early,” said Ada third-year head coach Vince Halliday.

The Ada sophomore added another trey in the second stanza, but a 17-7 Pirate run gave the hosts a 37-21 advantage at intermission.

Bluffton won the third period 16-6 to stretch its lead to 26 heading to the fourth quarter. Wade Ginther tallied six points in the fourth period as the Pirates extended the final margin to 36.

Eleven Pirates scored as three hit double figures, led by Donaldson with 15 points. Wade Ginther netted 14 markers, and Blake Sommers added 13 points. 

Zimmerman led all players with 18 points and four treys. Freshman point guard Kolton Dysert added seven markers and one triple.  

“Bluffton is legit good,” Halliday noted. “We played really hard and ran them off the three-point line. They only made three three’s.

“Bluffton is big and physical,” he continued. “They are hard to keep off the glass.”

The Bulldogs made 14 turnovers, while the Pirates committed nine miscues.

The Bulldogs connected on nine two-point goals, and drained five triples.

Ada converted both of its mere two shots at the charity stripe (100 percent). 

Bluffton canned 27 two-pointers and drilled three treys. The Pirates converted eight of nine from the free throw line (89 percent).

Ada lost the JV game 60-30 to drop to 7-3. 

Ada 35 (2-8, 0-2 NWC)

Oldfield 0 0-0 0, Zimmerman 7 0-0 18, Hickman 0 0-0 0, Dysert 3 0-0 7, Green 0 0-0 0, Blankenship 0 0-0 0, Gossard 1 0-0 2, House 0 0-0 0, Lawrence 1 0-0 2, Gossman 1 2-2 4, Griffith 1 0-0 2.

Totals: 9-5/2-2/35. 3-pointers: Zimmerman 4, Dysert 1. 

Bluffton 71 (7-1, 2-0 NWC)

Donaldson 5 3-4 15, B. Ginther 1 0-0 2, W. Ginther 7 0-0 14, Blk. Sommers 6 0-0 13, Bro. Sommers 2 0-0 4, Boblitt 1 0-0 2, Hilty 1 0-0 2, Worcester 3 0-0 6, Ker. Wright 1 2-2 4, Ka. Wright 1 1-1 3, Yoder 2 2-2 6.

Totals: 27-3/8-9/71. 3-pointers: Donaldson 2, Blk. Sommers 1.

JV: Bluffton 60, Ada 30.

Ada hosts backyard league foe Allen East (3-4, 1-1 NWC) next Friday night. AE beat Delphos Jefferson 85-61 Friday to earn their first league win as the Mustangs sank 10 triples. Ethan Young scored a career-high 34 points.

The Bulldogs then visit another local traditional rival at Upper Scioto Valley (5-5) Saturday night, January 13 to conclude rivalry weekend. The Rams beat Perry 56-43 Friday.

Ram senior Alex Sanders scored 25 points, and Maddox Underwood added 15.