PHOTOS by Mark Andreasen / Senior Night celebrated for all Bulldog winter sports

By Cort Reynolds

ADA__The Ada High School boys basketball team raced to a big early lead and defeated visiting Blanchard Valley Conference foe Pandora-Gilboa 56-37 on Senior Night Friday night, February 6.

The Bulldogs shut out P-G 13-0 in the first quarter to set the tone. Ada then poured in 23 second-period points to build an insurmountable 36-9 halftime lead.

The Rockets fashioned a 17-8 third stanza to trim their deficit to 44-26 heading into the final period.

The Bulldogs won the fourth quarter 12-11 as Connor McKean pumped in a triple and a two-point goal.

Ada improved to 12-6 overall and 5-4 in BVC play with the decisive home victory.

Pandora-Gilboa fell to 7-10 overall and 4-4 in the BVC after the road loss.

“We played really well the first half,” said Ada head coach Chris Sautter. “It was great to see Zack, Kayleb and Gavin get such a good win on Senior Night. All three played really well, and we got some great contributions off the bench from Ty (Stauffer) and Connor. 

”Hopefully, we can keep getting better and finish strong down the stretch,” he added.

Senior Zack Zimmerman tallied seven points in each of the first two periods en route to a game-high 22 points.

Junior Carson Conley and McKean each netted eight markers. Blake Zoladz added seven points. 

Cory Gerten netted seven of his 14 points in the fourth period to pace the Rockets.

The Bulldogs connected on 16 two-point goals and drained four trifectas. Ada converted 12 of 18 free throws (67 percent).

P-G canned 12 deuces and nailed two treys. The Rockets sank seven of 15 foul shots (47 percent). 

Bulldog seniors Zimmerman, Gavin Oldfield and Kayleb Hickman were honored before the game.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs welcome non-league foe Fort Jennings (6-12) to Ada on Tuesday, Feb. 10 for a makeup game that was postponed early in the season.

Ada then visits non-league foe Temple Christian (10-8) on Saturday, Feb. 14.

League-leading Van Buren (17-1, 9-0 BVC) crushed Vanlue 75-13 Friday night. The Bulldogs are fifth in the 11-team league.

Ada 56 (12-6, 5-4 BVC)

Oldfield 1 0-0 2, Zimmerman 9 3-4 22, Stauffer 2 0-2 4, Conley 1 6-8 8, Allen 0 0-0 0, McKean 3 0-0 8, Griffith 0, Zoladz 2 3-4 7, Hickman 2 0-0 5. 

TOTALS: 16-4/12-18/56. 3-pointers: McKean 2, Hickman 1, Zimmerman 1.

P-G 37 (7-10, 4-4 BVC)

Gerten 6 0-0 14, C. Verhoff 1 3-3 5, Meyer 2 2-2 6, A. Buell 2 0-0 4, J. Buell 3 2-6 8. TOTALS: 12-2/7-15/37. 3-pointers: Gerten 2.