By Cort Reynolds

RIDGEWAY–The visiting Ada High School girls basketball team came from behind to edge Hardin County rival Ridgemont 38-37 in a non-conference nailbiter on Saturday, December 13.

After a slow start, Ada rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to outscore the Gophers 28-17 after intermission and win by one.

The Bulldog girls trailed 20-10 at the midway point, but turned the tables with a 17-6 third quarter. Both teams scored 11 points in the tight final stanza.

Ada led 37-36 when freshman Shay Smith was fouled with seven seconds remaining. She converted one of two shots to put the Bulldogs ahead by two.

Gopher sophomore Aubrie Overly was then fouled with 0.5 seconds left. Overly sank the first free throw, but missed the second that would have tied it to preserve the one-point margin of victory.

The Bulldogs improved to 5-3 overall with the road comeback victory. Riverdale dropped to 4-4 overall after the close defeat.

“We took care of the ball better in the third quarter, and were more aggressive offensively,” explained Ada head coach Zach Ricker of the turnaround. “Our intensity was much better in the second half.“

Senior Anna Conley led six Ada scorers with 11 points. Freshmen Te’a Griffith and Lucy Carter netted nine points apiece. 

Freshman Smith contributed all five of her points in the second half.

Ada trailed 13-4 after the first quarter, and the Gophers maintained a 20-10 advantage at halftime behind a 7-6 second period. 

Smith and Griffith scored four points apiece in the third period and Conley added three as Ada seized the momentum. 

Carter tallied five key points in the final period, and she drained five of six foul shots in the second half. Ricker agreed that the freshman guard hit some big free throws. She scored seven points after intermission.

Conley canned two big baskets in the fourth quarter.

Three Gopher girls – Overly, Laney Elsasser and Anna Ramsey - tallied eight points apiece to lead Ridgemont. Joslin Henderson added seven points.

The two rivals posted almost identical team scoring totals, as each drilled the same number of baskets with no three-point goals made in the entire game. 

Ada connected on 12 two-point goals and converted 14 of 21 free throws (67 percent). 

Ridgemont also sank 12 two-pointers and converted 13 of 22 charity stripe attempts (59 percent). The Gophers made one less foul shot than the Bulldogs to spell the difference.

Ada improved to 3-2 away from home this season with the big win.  

The Bulldog girls (1-2 BVC) conclude their four-game road swing at league foe Elmwood (2-4, 1-2 BVC) on Thursday, Dec. 18. 

Ada 38 (5-3)

Poling 0 0-0 0, St. Laurent 1 0-0 2, Gibson 0 0-0 0, Smith 1 3-4 5, Carter 2 5-6 9, Conley 4 3-4 11, Hevlin 0 2-2 2, Griffith 4 1-5 9. 

Totals: 12-0/14-21/38. 3-pointers: none.

R’mont 37 (4-4)

Overly 3 2-4 8, Ramsey 2 4-6 8, Elsasser 2 4-4 8, Eckstein 1 0-0 2, Henderson 2 3-4 7, Hites 1 0-0 2, Rudasill 1 0-0 2.

Totals: 12-0/13-22/37. 3-pointers: none.  

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