By Cort Reynolds

BLOOMDALE__The visiting Ada High School girls basketball team used a big second half to defeat Blanchard Valley Conference foe Elmwood 41-36 on Thursday, December 18.

Ada outscored the Royals 27-16 in the second half to overcome a six-point intermission deficit. A 16-11 fourth quarter earned the purple and gold the road win.

The Bulldog girls rallied to win the third quarter 11-5 and tie it up 25-25 heading to the final stanza. Five different girls scored in the third period to pace the balanced Bulldogs.

Ada freshman guard Lucy Carter then canned two big triples and scored eight clutch points in the fourth quarter to pace the victors. She tallied a season-high 14 points to spearhead the comeback win.

The Bulldogs improved to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in the BVC with the road victory. Much-improved Ada has already surpassed its win total from last year, when it was 4-19 and winless in the league.

Elmwood fell to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in BVC play after the defeat.

“The girls did a really good job of executing things in the second half that we talked about at halftime,” said Ada head coach Zach Ricker. “We talked about our positioning defensively in our zone, and being better offensively in running the offense.“

Seniors Ashley Hevlin and Anna Conley contributed nine and eight points, respectively. Freshmen Te’a Griffith netted all six of her points in the second half. 

Conley and Griffith sank two baskets apiece in the fourth period.

Ada trailed 9-8 after the first quarter, and the Royals stretched the margin to 20-14 at halftime behind an 11-6 second-period run. 

Royal senior Selina Deal tallied 12 of her 14 points in the first half as the Ada defense limited her to just one basket after intermission. Senior McKenzie Laird added eight markers.

Ada connected on 16 two-point goals, drilled two triples and converted three of six free throws (50 percent). 

Elmwood sank 13 two-pointers, nailed three treys and converted one of four charity stripe tries (25 percent). 

Ada improved to 4-2 away from home this season with the victory. The purple and gold concluded a four-game road swing with a 3-1 record after the win at Elmwood.  

The Bulldog girls host Putnam County League foe Continental (3-5) on Saturday, Dec. 20 at noon. Ada is 2-1 at home.

Ada 41 (6-3, 2-2 BVC)

Poling 1 0-0 2, St. Laurent 0, Gibson 0 0-0 0, Smith 1 0-2 2, Carter 6 0-0 14, Conley 4 0-0 8, Hevlin 4 1-2 9, Griffith 2 2-2 6. 

Totals: 16-2/3-6/41. 3-pointers: Carter 2.

Elmwood 36 (2-5, 1-3 BVC)

Morehart 1 0-0 3, M. Laird 4 0-0 8, Barringer 2 1-2 5, Deal 6 0-2 14, K. Laird 3 0-0 6.

Totals: 13-3/1-4/36. 3-pointers: Deal 2, Morehart 1.