By Cort Reynolds
FT. JENNINGS - The visiting Ada boys basketball team lost 59-40 at hot-shooting Fort Jennings in a Saturday night non-league hoop contest.

The Bulldogs led 4-0 early, but then FJ reeled off the next 11 points to take control and never trailed again.

The Musketeers were on top 15-7 after one period and then pulled away to a 31-12 intermission advantage. FJ continued its fine shooting by outscoring the Bulldogs 17-4 in the third period. 

Ada found its shooting touch late as they out-pointed FJ 24-11 in the final stanza. The Bulldogs tallied 16 through the first three periods. 

"We got a little bit of a hot streak in the fourth quarter, I think we hit six three's (Cook 3, Wall 2, Ennis 1)," said Ada head coach Jon Cook. 

The Bulldogs dropped to 0-2 with the loss, while FJ improved to 1-1 with the victory.

"We have limited numbers and that affected our bounce back after last night," said Cook. "We can't afford to let not making shots affect our energy and effort defensively.

"We got some decent looks early that didn't go, we didn't transition well on defense and got into a little bit of foul trouble. We were not as sharp and alert as we were against Ridgemont."

The Musketeers also changed up their defenses frequently to keep the inexperienced Bulldogs from creating any rhythm.

"They switched defenses a lot and threw us off balance," he admitted. "Their shooting was the story, but also our inability to handle their multiple defenses hurt. Our offense did not help our defense much.

"It was a difficult, challenging and fustrating night - but I hope it is one we can learn from."

The Bulldogs did a good job of limiting FJ senior post Evan Hoersten to seven points after he scored 28 vs. Ada last year. But guards Zach Schulte and Nick Trentman combined to sink eight three-point goals, including seven in a first-half barrage.

"We did a good job corraling Hoersten but didn't get out to their shooters," said Cook. "They knocked some early ones down and got confidence.

"They shot the three really well," he added. "The Schulte kid hit five three's in the first half." 

Schulte led all scorers with 19 points, while Trentman netted 13.

The Bulldogs played a matchup zone defense for most of the contest, as well as a little triangle-and-two in the third period.

The Bulldogs shot 34 percent from the field (15-44). They canned  nine of 27 from beyond the arc (33 percent) and connected on six of 17 from two-point range (35 percent). 

Ada converted one of their mere three attempts from the charity stripe (33 percent). "We need to find a way to get to the foul line more, finish through contact, and cut hard," said Cook.

The Musketeers sank 22 of 38 field goal tries (58 percent). They canned 13 of 24 two-pointers (54 percent). The hosts were red-hot from three-point land, draining nine of 14 trifectas (64 percent). 

FJ also shot perfectly from the charity stripe, sinking all six of their free tosses (100 percent). 

FJ out-rebounded Ada, 20-19. The Bulldogs committed 14 turnovers to 10 by the Musketeers. "They got some second shot opportunities early too," Cook noted.

Ada won the junior varsity undercard, 48-33. Carter Conley led the Bulldog reserves with 15 points.

Ada 40 (0-2)
C. Murphy 3-10 1-2 7, Cook 4-10 0-0 11, Wall 3-5 0-0 9, Ennis 3-9 0-1 7, T. Conley 1-4 0-0 3, E. Murphy 1-5 0-0 3, Poling 0-1 0-0 0, Dellifield 0.
Totals: 15-44/1-3/40. 3-pointers (9-27): Cook 3-8, Wall 3-5, Ennis 1-6, Conley 1-3, E. Murphy 1-4, Poling 0-1.

Fort Jennings 59 (1-1)
Trentman 4 2-2 13, Hoersten 3 0-0 7, Hoasten 4 2-2 10, Grote 2 2-2 6, Schulte 7 0-0 19, Liebrecht 2 0-0 4.
Totals: 22-38/6-6/59. 3-pointers (9-14): Schulte 5, Trentman 3, Hoersten 1.
 
    1    2    3    4    F
Ada    7    5    4    24    40
FtJ    15    16    17    11    59
JV: Ada 48, FJ 33. 

Ada plays its third straight game on the road to open the season when it visits Bath (1-1) Friday, December 4. Bath beat Elida 57-46 Saturday in the third-place game of the Elida Tip-Off Classic tournament. They lost to LCC 62-55 Friday in the semifinals.

"We will definitely have our hands full on Friday with Bath," said Cook. 

The Bulldogs then host Ottoville (1-0) Saturday in the home opener Saturday, December 5. The Big Green had their second game postponed vs. Toledo Christian Saturday night. They are slated to visit state power Columbus Grove next Friday.

"Ottoville has a high level of experience and skill," said Cook. "They will probably play as intense a man-to-man defense as we will face all year. We will have to really take care of the ball, and be tough mentally and physically."

"It will be contrasting styles in what we face Friday and Saturday," he offered.

The Bulldogs face four consecutive double weekends to open the season, with five of the eight games on the road.

"Our schedule is not going to get easier; we play a Div. II team and then one of the best Div. IV teams next weekend," Cook warned. "The next weekend we get a league rival in Bluffton who knows us well, and then Perry, who might be the best D-IV team in the state."