By Cort Reynolds

ARCADIA__The visiting Ada High School boys basketball team succumbed to a big second half charge in a 67-55 loss at Blanchard Valley Conference foe Arcadia on Friday, January 2.

Ada trailed 15-10 after the first period as Redskin senior guard Isaac Stoner scored 10 early points. But the Bulldogs rallied behind a 19-12 second quarter to grab a 29-27 edge at halftime.

However, the Redskins outscored the Bulldogs 40-26 in the second half to win by 12. Arcadia changed the momentum with an 18-10 third quarter to surge in front 45-39 heading to the fourth stanza.

Arcadia won the final period 22-16 and led by as many as 16. Stoner netted seven of his game-high 26 points in the clinching quarter.

Stoner poured home 17 points in the first half to keep the hosts close, as the rest of the Redskin team combined for just 10 points.

“They wanted it more than we did,” explained Bulldog head coach Chris Sautter succinctly. “In the third quarter, they beat us up on the glass. 

“In the fourth quarter, we couldn’t keep anyone in front of us (defensively) and out of the paint,” he noted.

LEAGUE STANDINGS
Ada dropped to 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the BVC with the road defeat. Previous fellow league co-leader Liberty-Benton also lost to Van Buren 51-43 on Friday to drop into a third-place tie with the Bulldogs in the 11-team league. 

VB ascended to first in the league standings at 4-0, while Pandora-Gilboa is second at 3-0.

Arcadia improved to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in BVC play after the home victory. 

The Redskins avenged a last-second loss at Ada last Jan. 3 when the Bulldogs scored six points in the final 10 seconds to cap a 56-55 comeback win on a steal and last-second triple by Bulldog Kayleb Hickman.

PLAYER AND TEAM STATS
Versatile Bulldog junior Carson Conley tallied 12 of his team-high 20 points in the first half.

Junior guard Blake Zoladz contributed five baskets and 10 points.

Bulldog senior wing Zack Zimmerman tallied five of his 10 markers in the final period. Senior Hickman added nine points.

Conley and Zoladz each scored six points in the big Bulldog second period, while Hickman added five. He and Conley drilled one three-pointer apiece in the stanza.

Redskin junior guard Grady Bronston tallied 14 points to support Stoner. Sophomore Tripp Brubaker contributed six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Senior post Blayne Colman netted all eight of his markers in the second half.

Five different Redskins scored at least one basket in each of the third and fourth quarters. Stoner sank a dozen two-point field goals and hit two foul shots in the game.

The Bulldogs connected on 21 two-point goals and drained a pair of triples. Ada converted seven of 15 throws (47 percent), including three of seven in the fourth period.

Arcadia canned 29 deuces and nailed just one trey. The Redskins sank six of 10 foul shots (60 percent).

Ada dropped to 1-2 on the road with the loss.

Ada 55 (7-3, 3-1 BVC)

Oldfield 1 0-0 2, Zimmerman 4 2-2 10, Stauffer 0 0-0 0, Conley 7 5-5 20, Zoladz 5 0-4 10, Allen 1 0-0 2, Hickman 4 0-2 9, Griffith 1 0-2 2.

Totals: 21-2/7-15/55. 3-pointers: Hickman 1, Conley 1.

Arcadia 67 (4-4, 2-2 BVC)

I.Stoner 12 2-3 26, Green 0, Bronston 5 3-4 14, Brubaker 6 0-1 12, Tucker 3 1-2 7, Colman 4 0-0 8.

Totals: 29-1/6-10/67. 3-pointers: Bronston 1. 

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs host former Northwest Conference foe Delphos Jefferson (4-4) Saturday, Jan. 3. The Wildcats have won four of six since an 0-2 start. DJ beat Continental 52-41 in their last game on December 30.

The Wildcats upset Bluffton 39-38 Dec. 12, but then lost 61-35 a week later at Allen East (7-2). The rival Mustangs edged Ada in overtime at Harrod Dec. 6.