By Cort Reynolds

ADA - Visiting Riverdale took advantage of a lengthy Ada mid-game offensive drought to register a 60-43 win in a non-conference girls basketball contest Tuesday evening.

 

The scrappy purple and gold dropped to 1-3 with the defeat, while the Lady Falcons improved to 4-2 after the win.

 

Riverdale outscored Ada 21-1 in the decisive second period, and Ada went without a basket in the entire quarter and part of the third period. Riverdale rallied from a 14-9 deficit to a 21-point lead following a 28-2 run.

 

But the Bulldogs refused to fold. Senior Anney Archer scored 10 straight points to get Ada back in striking distance. A left wing trey by senior Maddie Gossard cut the lead to 42-35 with just under five minutes remaining.

 

But then the Falcons scored liberally in transition to finish the game on an 18-8 run. Lexie Wright tallied a dozen of her game-high 28 points in the flurry, and the visitors went on to win by 17.

 

"We had a dead second quarter and half of the third," said fourth-year Bulldog head coach Bill Taflinger. "That 12-minute lull was the difference in the game. You can't go long stretches without points.

 

"Riverdale is a good team, their two seniors really hurt us (Wright and Reygan Frey). We have to keep playing hard when we are not shooting well," he noted.

 

Ada junior guard Raina England canned the first basket of the game on a lane swisher. Riverdale answered with six consecutive points, but then Bulldog senior Maddie Gossard splashed three triples in a row to shoot Ada to an 11-6 advantage.

 

A left baseline 11-footer by Ashleigh Rush gave the hosts their biggest lead at 13-6 as the opening period expired.

 

"We had a good start without even shooting well," Taflinger noted. "We missed some good open looks early."

 

The speedy Archer split a pair of foul shots with 6:40 to go in the first half to put Ada in front, 14-9. But then the Falcon running game shifted into high gear. Wright sank two short bank shots, followed by a trey and a fast break layin by Frey.

 

Ada called timeout to stem the tide, yet the Falcons continued to roll as Frey stole the ball and made a layin. Six more points in a row by Wright closed the half on an 18-0 run to provide a 27-14 Riverdale margin.

 

"We threw the ball right to them three or four times in the second quarter," lamented Taflinger.

 

Wright continued her hot streak to open the second half when she finally made a layup after three straight offensive rebounds. Bry Vanden Bosch sank two foul shots to extend the run to 22 unanswered points and a 31-14 lead.

 

"Our energy was bad at the start of the third quarter," said Taflinger.

 

England stopped the 10-minute drought without a field goal by knocking down an 11-footer at the 6:22 mark. Riverdale then ran off six more points to extend the lead to 37-16.

 

Archer went on her own personal 10-point scoring outburst. She converted a nice backdoor shot off a good Teara Coulson assist to start the run. Archer then sank a short banker, followed by a right wing trey.

 

The scrappy guard then nailed another triple from the right side to cut the deficit to 38-26 with 55 seconds left in the third.

 

"Anney got hot in the third quarter," Taflinger noted. "She played with a lot of energy. Her effort and defensive intensity is always there."

 

A left corner 18-footer by Gossard sliced the Falcon lead to 40-28 heading to the fourth quarter.

 

Back-to-back baskets by 5-9 sophomore post Rush to start the final stanza edged Ada within eight. Falcon junior guard Brooke Kuenzli swished a right baseline 10-footer, but Gossard answered with her fourth trey to inch within 42-35 at the 4:50 mark.

 

"We made some shots and battled back from over 20 points down to get within seven," recalled Taflinger.

 

However, that was as close as Ada would get. Wright netted two quick hoops, then later added a layup putback and two free throws.

 

Coulson drained a triple from the top of the key, yet Wright canned a driving layup and converted a stickback layin. A fast break layup by Caitlyn Hughes extended the lead to 58-39 with 90 seconds to go.

 

Archer swished a runner and finished a conventional three-point play with 51 ticks left. A Gossard free toss provided the final margin of 17.

 

"I was happy with the last 12 minutes or so," said Taflinger. "Anney made some shots and hustle plays, and created energy."

 

Gossard led Ada with 15 points, seven rebounds and one blocked shot. Archer tallied 14 points, made five steals and snagged four boards. England dished out five assists and Rilan Conley added four helpers.

 

Rush scored a career-high seven points off the bench. "That was her best game by far," said the coach.

 

Wright led all scorers with 28 points while Frey netted 10 with seven assists.

 

"Frey passes well and finds the open person," Taflinger observed.

 

Riverdale sank 21 two-point goals and one triple, and canned an accurate 15 of 18 (83 percent) from the charity stripe. Ada drilled nine two-pointers and hit seven treys, and converted four of eight at the foul line.

 

Riverdale also won a two-quarter reserve game, 19-14.

Ada 43 (1-3)

M. Gossard 5 1-2 15, Coulson 1 0-0 3, Archer 5 2-4 14, England 2 0-0 4, Conley 0, Wills 0, Rush 3 1-2 7.

Totals: 16/4-8/43. 3-pointers: M. Gossard 4, Archer 2, Coulson 1.

Riverdale 60 (4-2)

Kuenzli 3 0-0 6, Hughes 1 0-0 2, Wright 11 6-6 28, Rodriguez 2 1-2 5, Frey 3 3-4 10, Ashburn 2 0-0 4, Vanden Bosch 0 5-6 5.

Totals: 22/15-18/60. 3-pointer: Frey 1.

 

1 2 3 4 F

Ada 13 1 14 15 43

Rdale 6 21 13 20 60

JV: Riverdale 19, Ada 14.

 

Ada (0-1 NWC) visits league and backyard rival Allen East (1-3, 0-1 NWC) Thursday night. The Lady Bulldogs are 1-0 on the road and 0-3 at home this season.

 

"We're going to have to play hard; Allen East plays very hard," said Taflinger. "Our only common opponent is Cory-Rawson, who Allen East beat pretty handily while we lost to Cory.

 

"They will try to get the ball inside to (Tori) Newland, and we have to do a good job on her. We will also have to shoot the ball better," he added