By Cort Reynolds
McGUFFEY__Exactly two months after beating arch-rival Upper Scioto Valley by 13, the Ada girls basketball team went on the road and edged the Rams in a much closer January 30 battle that went down to the very end.
With the game tied in the final seconds, Bulldog senior playmaker Olivia Burkhart drove left and knocked down a clutch short runner from the left baseline with under three ticks remaining to give Ada a 48-46 win at Alumni Fieldhouse.
After Burkhart made the last basket, USV didn’t have any timeouts left and was unable to get the ball in-bounds to attempt a final desperation shot before time expired.
The Bulldogs outscored the Ram girls 21-17 in a high-scoring final period to pull off the rivalry win. The Bulldogs trailed 45-40 late but ended the game on a clutch 8-1 run.
Burkhart scored 10 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter to almost carry the Bulldogs to victory.
Playing their first game in eight days, Ada improved to 7-10 with the hard-fought win that gave them a season sweep of the Rams. Meanwhile, Upper dropped to 5-13 with the tough defeat.
“It was a tight game all night and we struggled to finish plays at times,” said Ada head coach Zach Ricker.
“But we were able to finish big plays over the final three minutes to help get us the win,” he noted. “Liv made a great drive and play to score.”
The game was close all the way. The purple and gold led 9-7 after the first quarter. Burkhart netted seven points in the second stanza to keep Ada narrowly ahead 18-16 at halftime.
USV surged in front 29-27 after three periods of play. Freshmen Raegan Castle and Layla Hunsicker each drained a trifecta in the third quarter to help give the Rams the lead.
With 30 seconds left, Ada fouled USV with the hosts clinging to a 45-44 lead. The Rams missed the first shot and made the second, only to have it negated due to a lane violation.
Burkhart was then fouled in the backcourt and canned both shots to give Ada a 46-45 lead. The Bulldogs almost stole the ball after tipping a Ram pass, but Burkhart was called for a loose ball foul.
USV tied it 46-all as Hunsicker made the first free throw, but she missed the second to keep it knotted up with 17 seconds left to play. Ada called timeout to set up a final play for Burkhart, and she scored on the second option to win it.
“We got some key stops,” recalled Ricker. “The first option (on the last play) to Liv wasn’t there, but we got it in and back to Olivia. She made a great drive and play.”
Burkhart also sank a pair of triples in the third period. She ended up with five two-point goals, three treys and she canned six of seven free throws for her 25 points.
Sophomore post Anna Conley tallied five of her nine points in the last stanza for the Bulldogs. Senior Mariah King added seven markers for Ada.
Castle topped USV with 13 points. Senior Nevaeh Lowery scored 11, and freshman Hunsicker netted nine markers. Senior post Patiance Cole added all eight of her points in the second half.
Hunsicker scored five points in the fourth period. Rams Cole, Castle and Lowery each tallied four points in the final eight minutes.
The Bulldogs connected on 14 two-point baskets, and sank three treys, all by Burkhart.
Ada converted 11 of 17 free throws (65 percent), while USV canned eight of their 13 charity stripe tries (62 percent).
The Rams made 13 two-point goals and connected on four trifectas.
Ada (0-5 NWC) plays at Crestview (15-2, 5-1 NWC) Thursday. The Bulldogs visit struggling North Baltimore (1-15) Saturday in a girls/boys doubleheader.
Ada then plays next Tuesday and Thursday to finish a span of five games in 11 days. Thus, Ricker feels the eight-day layoff may be beneficial to the Bulldogs in the long run.
USV (1-4 NWCC) hosts Marion Elgin (11-4, 3-3 NWCC) in a league bout Thursday night.
Ada 48 (7-10)
Burkhart 8 6-7 25,
King 2 3-4 7,
L. Poling 2 1-2 5,
K. Poling 0 0-0 0,
Sizemore 1 0-0 2,
Conley 4 1-4 9.
Totals: 14-3/11-17/48. 3-pointers: Burkhart 3.
USV 46 (5-13)
Cotterman DNP,
A. Lawrence 1 0-0 3,
Hurley 1 0-0 2,
Hunsicker 3 2-4 9,
Cole 4 0-0 8,
Castle 5 1-2 13,
Lowery 3 5-5 11.
Totals: 13-4/8-13/46. 3-pointers: Castle 2, Hunsicker 1, Lawrence 1.
SCOREBOARD
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| ADA | 9 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 48 |
| USV | 7 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 46 |
No JV game.
