By Cort Reynolds

ADA __The Ada High School girls basketball team was victimized by a big third quarter in a 70-46 loss to visiting Blanchard Valley Conference rival Arcadia on Tuesday, December 30.

The Bulldog girls were behind by only six points at intermission, but the Redskins fashioned a decisive 23-7 third period to pull away and win by 24.

Redskin Addy Colman poured in 19 of her game-high 22 points in the first half, including 12 in the second stanza, to pace the visitors to victory.

The Bulldogs dropped to 6-6 overall and 2-3 in the BVC after the home defeat.

Arcadia improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in BVC play with the road victory.

Ada trailed 17-12 after the first quarter, but hung within 33-27 at halftime. 

Redskins Liberty Voges and Ryleigh Bostic netted eight and seven points, respectively, in the key third quarter.

Kate Seem and Colman each hit three baskets and a triple in the first period to combine for 14 points as Arcadia built a 17-12 edge. 

Bulldog seniors Anna Conley and Ashley Hevlin tallied two baskets apiece in the opening stanza.

Seven markers by Conley in the 16-15 second quarter kept Ada close, down only six at halftime. But Arcadia nailed 10 foul shots in 13 tries during the third period en route to 23 game-changing points.

Te’a Griffith tallied seven points and Hevlin added four in the fourth period, which the Redskins squeaked out 14-12. Griffith scored 12 of her team-high 16 points in the second half.

Conley netted 14 markers and Hevlin added eight. Bulldog freshman guard Lucy Carter added four markers.

Seem supported Colman with 15 points, while Bostic tallied 10. Voges added all nine of her points in the second half.

The Bulldogs and the Redskins had entered the contest in a three-way tie for fifth place in the 11-team Blanchard Valley Conference with McComb.

The Bulldog girls connected on 17 two-point goals, drained no triples and converted 12 of 16 free throws (75 percent). 

The Redskins also canned 17 two-pointers, but they splashed eight treys and sank 12 of 13 charity stripe tries (92 percent). Arcadia outscored Ada 24-0 beyond the arc as Colman nailed four trifectas.

Ada dropped to 2-4 at home this season with the loss. 

NEXT UP
The Bulldog girls will try to snap their three-game losing streak at NWCC leader North Baltimore (11-1) on Saturday, January 3. Ada is 4-2 on the road.

NB is led by high-scoring sophomore guard Lacie Allison. The Tiger girls were undefeated until Leipsic knocked them off in their last game on Dec. 29 despite 37 points by Allison, 58-45.

The Ada girls lost at home to Leipsic 53-40 on Nov. 25. NB also edged Hardin Northern 60-56 and beat USV 66-55, the two other common opponents the Tigers have shared with Ada. 

The Bulldogs beat rival Upper 40-30 in their opener and lost at HN, 40-33.

Ada 46 (6-6, 2-3 BVC)

Poling 0 2-2 2, St. Laurent 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 2-2 2, Carter 2 0-0 4, Conley 5 4-6 14, Hevlin 4 0-0 8, Griffith 6 4-6 16. 

Totals: 17-0/12-16/46. 3-pointers: none.

Arcadia 70 (6-2, 3-2 BVC)

Smith 1 0-0 2, Seem 6 2-2 15, Voges 1 6-7 9, Colman 9 0-0 22, Bostic 3 3-3 10, George 2 0-0 4, Boes 2 1-2 6, Kuhn 1 0-0 2.

Totals: 17-8/12-13/70. 3-pointers: Colman 4, Seem 1, Voges 1, Boes 1, Bostic 1.