Unique zone stymies 11-2 Tigers

By Cort Reynolds

NORTH BALTIMORE__The visiting Ada High School girls basketball team upset once-beaten non-league foe North Baltimore convincingly, 57-37, on Saturday, January 3.

The Bulldog girls pulled away from a 10-10 first-period tie to grab a 26-20 lead at intermission they would not relinquish. 

An 18-point third quarter extended the margin to 44-30 going into the final stanza. Ada won the fourth period 13-7 to win going away by 20.  

Bulldog freshman Te’a Griffith tallied 10 points in each half to score a career-high 20 markers. Ada senior post Anna Conley poured in 19 points as the one-two inside punch combined for 39 markers.

“We did a great job defensively executing our game plan, and did a good job rebounding defensively,” said Ada head coach Zach Ricker. 

The Bulldogs utilized a unique defense to defuse the Tiger offense. Ada employed an effective diamond and one zone against NB scoring ace Lacey Allison and her teammates. 

Sophomore guard Allison came into the contest averaging 30 points a game, and the Bulldogs held her seven points below her average.

Freshman Shay Smith and sophomore Emily Gibson took turns guarding the high-scoring Allison in the unusual defensive alignment.

“Shay and Emily rotated on guarding Allison,” said Ricker. “They did a good job of making things difficult for her and making her earn her points.”

Allison had to work hard for her game-high 23 points, and the rest of the Tiger team could only muster 14 markers.

The Bulldogs improved to 7-6 overall after the road victory, which snapped a three-game losing skid. It was arguably their biggest win of the season against a team that sits atop the NWCC.

North Baltimore dropped to 11-2 with the home defeat. The Tiger girls have lost two in a row after an 11-0 start.

“Offensively, we did a good job of pushing the ball in transition and taking advantage of opportunities,” Ricker noted.

The game was knotted 10-10 after the first quarter as Allison scored eight on two treys, and Griffith countered with six points. Five Bulldogs scored in the second stanza as the visitors pulled ahead by six at halftime.

Allison made five of five foul shots in the second period.

Conley netted eight points in the third quarter, and Griffith tallied six as Ada won the third stanza 18-10.

Bulldog freshman guard Lucy Carter scored five points in the fourth period, while Allison tallied all seven NB markers in the quarter. Griffith added four points.

Carter netted nine points, and Ada junior guard Kenley Poling added five.

The Bulldog girls connected on 24 two-point goals, hit no triples and converted nine of 17 free throws (53 percent). 

The Tigers canned seven two-pointers, splashed five treys and sank eight of nine charity stripe tries (89 percent). Allison nailed three of the five NB triples.

Ada improved to 5-2 on the road with the win.
 

Ada 57 (7-6)

Poling 2 1-4 5, St. Laurent 0 0-0 0, Gibson 0 1-2 1, Smith 0 1-2 1, Carter 3 3-4 9, Conley 8 3-3 19, Hevlin 1 0-0 2, Griffith 10 0-2 20. 

Totals: 24-0/9-17/57. 3-pointers: none.

NB 37 (11-2)

Cotterman 1 0-0 2, L. Allison 6 8-8 23, K. Allison 2 0-0 5, Paynter 1 0-0 3, Smith 1 0-1 2, Benedict 1 0-0 2.

Totals: 7-5/8-9/37. 3-pointers: L. Allison 3, K. Allison 1, Paynter 1.

UP NEXT
The Bulldog girls (2-4 at home) host non-conference foe Lima Central Catholic (4-6) on Tuesday, January 6. 

Ada (2-3 BVC) then entertains league leader Liberty-Benton (9-2, 5-0 BVC) Thursday, Jan. 8.