By Cort Reynolds

FINDLAY __The visiting Ada High School boys basketball team suffered through a cold night offensively as they lost 52-21 to perennial Blanchard Valley Conference power Liberty-Benton on Friday, January 9.

Ada trailed 14-9 after a low-scoring first half. L-B then broke away to outscore the Bulldogs 38-12 in the second half and win by 31. 

Ada hung within striking distance after a 14-7 third quarter, down 28-16 heading into the fourth stanza.

But the Eagles poured in 24 final-period points to win going away. L-B guard Brody Thomas pumped in 11 fourth-quarter points on the strength of three triples to spearhead the late charge.

“We couldn’t score,” said Bulldog head coach Chris Sautter. “We defended really well for three-plus quarters, but it got away from us in the fourth quarter.”  

Ada fell to 8-4 overall and 3-2 in the BVC with the road defeat.

Liberty-Benton improved to 7-3 overall and 4-1 in BVC play after the decisive win. L-B is third in the 11-team league standings behind Van Buren (5-0) and Pandora-Gilboa (4-0).

Arlington is 3-1 and fourth in the BVC, while Ada is tied for fifth with Arcadia at 3-2. VB knocked off the Eagles last Friday to seize the top spot.

Bulldog senior wing Zack Zimmerman led Ada with eight points and made their lone trifecta.

Junior guard Andrew Allen and senior Gavin Oldfield added four points apiece. 

Thomas tallied 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second half as he buried four treys. Lincoln Holler added 10 markers.

The Bulldogs connected on just seven two-point goals and splashed one triple. Ada converted four of eight throws (50 percent).

L-B canned 13 deuces and nailed seven treys. The Eagles sank five of five foul shots (100 percent). The hosts knocked down four triples in the final period to blow the game open.

Ada (1-3 road) visits backyard arch-rival Upper Scioto Valley (5-4) Saturday, Jan. 10. The Rams won at Waynesfield Friday, 53-45. Five USV players scored between 10 and 12 points in their very balanced offensive attack.

“Saturday is a rivalry game,” said Sautter of USV. “Emotions will be high, and we are definitely going to have to play really well to win.”

Ada 21 (8-4, 3-2 BVC)

Oldfield 2 0-0 4, Zimmerman 3 1-2 8, Stauffer 0 0-0 0, Conley 1 1-4 3, Zoladz 0 0-0 0, Allen 1 2-2 4, McKean 0 0-0 0, Henson 0 0-0 0, Hickman 1 0-0 2, Griffith 0 0-0 0.

Totals: 7-1/4-8/21. 3-pointers: Zimmerman 1.

L-B 52 (7-3, 4-1 BVC)

Troyer 2 0-0 4, Irwin 3 1-1 7, Coneway 1 0-0 2, Thomas 8 0-0 21, Holler 3 2-2 10, Gerken 3 2-2 8.

Totals: 13-7/5-5/52. 3-pointers: Thomas 5, Holler 2.