By Cort Reynolds

McGUFFEY __The visiting Ada High School boys basketball team smothered local arch-rival Upper Scioto Valley 53-21 on Saturday, January 10 at Alumni Fieldhouse.

Ada raced to a 21-6 lead after the first period and was never threatened. Senior Zack Zimmerman poured in 11 points in the opening stanza to spearhead the Bulldog charge. 

A 15-7 Ada second quarter ballooned the margin to 36-13 at intermission. The Bulldogs stymied USV with a 15-3 third period to build a commanding 51-16 cushion heading into the fourth stanza.

“We played a little better tonight,” said Bulldog head coach Chris Sautter. “It was a good bounce-back game, but we need to be more consistent. We have several guys with a lot of experience and by this time of year, we should be getting consistent play night in and night out.”  

Ada improved to 9-4 with the road blowout win. Upper Scioto Valley fell to 5-5 after the lopsided home loss. 

Bulldog senior wing Zimmerman led Ada with 22 points. He followed up his big first period with seven more points and one trey in the second stanza. 

Senior Kayleb Hickman netted 10 markers with two triples. Junior guard Blake Zoladz added seven markers.  

Beau Sanders led the Rams with 11 points. Jesse Prater added four.

The Bulldogs connected on 17 two-point goals and buried four triples. Ada converted seven of 14 throws (50 percent).

USV canned just eight deuces and knocked down only one trey. The Rams sank a mere two of nine foul shots (22 percent). 

Ada improved to 2-3 on the road with the win. 

Ada 53 (9-4)

Oldfield 0 0-0 0, Zimmerman 8 2-2 22, Stauffer 0 0-0 0, Conley 2 1-2 5, Zoladz 2 3-5 7, Allen 1 1-2 3, McKean 0 0-0 0, Henson 0 1-3 1, Griffith 2 1-2 5, Hickman 4 0-0 10.

Totals: 17-4/7-14/53. 3-pointers: Zimmerman 2, Hickman 2.

USV 21 (5-5)

Kindle 0 1-2 1, M. Underwood 1 0-0 3, Lowery 0 0-0 0, Damron 0 0-0 0, Underwood 0 0-2 0, Oglesbee 1 0-0 2, Prater 2 0-0 4, Sanders 5 1-5 11.

Totals: 8-1/2-9/21. 3-pointers: Underwood 1.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs (3-2 BVC) play at Blanchard Valley Conference leader Van Buren (9-1, 5-0 BVC) on Friday, January 16. The Bulldogs then host county rival Hardin Northern (5-7) in a non-league contest on Jan. 17.

HN (3-0 NWCC) plays at league foe Waynesfield-Goshen (5-5, 1-2 NWCC) Friday, Jan. 16.