By Cort Reynolds

McCOMB – The visiting Ada High School boys basketball team used a big fourth quarter to defeat Blanchard Valley Conference foe McComb 67-57 Friday, January 24.

It was the 300th win in the 22-season career of head coach Chris Sautter at Ada and Columbus Grove, 185 of which have come with the purple and gold. 

The Bulldogs improved to 11-6 overall and 5-2 in the BVC with the road win. McComb dropped to 2-12 overall and 0-6 in BVC play after the home loss.

“Never easy, but it’s another win,” said Sautter, in his 15th season at the helm of the Ada program. “McComb played really hard. 

”You don’t get 300 wins without great players, great assistants, great administrators and great support from the community,” he noted of the milestone. 

“I am forever in debt to all the people who have helped me get to this point in my career – especially my family, who has been there for me and supported me through all of it.

“It also says I’m old and I’ve been doing this for a long time,” he joked.

Ada led 16-12 after the first period and held a 28-22 edge at halftime. The upset-minded Panthers sliced into the lead with a 20-16 third period that inched the hosts within 44-42 heading to the fourth quarter.

But the Bulldogs tallied 23 points in the final stanza to win by 10.

“We weren’t very good from the foul line in the first half, but we hit them down the stretch when it mattered,” said Sautter. “Nice to see us score 67 points, but we need to be better defensively.”

Junior Kayleb Hickman led Ada with a career-high 21 points on the strength of five trifectas. “He played well, and is playing with confidence,” said Sautter.

Bulldog junior Zack Zimmerman contributed 17 markers. Sophomore Carson Conley and junior Gavin Oldfield each netted eight points.

Junior post Slade Gossman scored six, and sophomore guard Kolton Dysert added five markers.

Grady Schroeder led the Panthers with 19 points. Freshman Luke Kern tallied 17 markers. Haiden Ebright added 10 points.

Ada connected on 16 two-point field goals and the Bulldogs made five triples, all by Hickman. Ada converted 20 free throws in 31 attempts (65 percent).   

The Panthers canned 13 two-pointers and splashed six trifectas. McComb sank 13 foul shots. 

The Bulldogs improved to 9-2 on the road with the win. “Being nine and two on the road says a lot about the toughness of our kids,” said Sautter.

Liberty-Benton sits alone atop the Blanchard Valley Conference at 6-0, with Arlington second at 5-1. Ada is tied for third with Pandora-Gilboa and Van Buren at 5-2.

Ada 67 (11-6, 5-2 BVC)
Oldfield 4-0-8, Dysert 0-5-5, Zimmerman 4-9-17, Green 0-2-2, Conley 2-4-8, Hickman 8-0-21, Gossman 3-0-6, Lawrence 0-0-0, Erickson 0-0-0. 
Totals: 16-5/20-31/67. 3-pointers: Hickman 5.

McComb 57 (2-12, 0-6 BVC)
Ebright 4-0-10, Schroeder 7-3-19, Smith 1-1-3, Frater 1-0-3, Stateler 2-0-5, Kern 4-9-17.
Totals: 13-6/13/57. 3-pointers: Ebright 2, Schroeder 2, Frater 1, Stateler 1.

Ada returns home to host tough Arlington (12-3) Friday, January 31. The Red Devils boast an athletic 6-10 center in Calvin Willow.