By Cort Reynolds

ADA - The visiting Liberty-Benton High School girls basketball team knocked down 13 three-point goals to overcome feisty Ada 68-44 in a Blanchard Valley Conference doubleheader nightcap game Thursday, January 9.

The home defeat dropped the Bulldog record to 2-11 overall and 0-6 in the BVC. League leader Liberty-Benton improved to 9-5 overall and 6-1 in BVC play after the win.

“I feel like it was the hardest we have played from start to finish all season,” said Bulldog third-year head coach Zach Ricker. “Everyone played well, we competed. We focused on playing hard and having fun.”

Eagle sophomore Megan Gerken drained eight trifectas to tally a game-high 24 points. L-B senior guard Avery Knepper drilled five triples to net 21 markers.

Ada trailed 21-12 after a high-scoring first period. Knepper nailed three straight treys early to build a 13-5 lead.

Bulldog senior Lexi Poling splashed a right corner trey and sank a driving banker to keep Ada close.

Poling added another three from the right wing, but Gerken drained two triples from out top. Ada sophomore Brooklynn Andreasen hit a basket, and freshman Mariah Burns sank a transition layup to keep the deficit at nine after the opening stanza.

A bucket by Anna Conley and another trifecta by Poling off a Conley kick-out pass inched Ada within 24-17 at the 5:40 mark of the second quarter. But Knepper and Gerken canned consecutive treys to spark an 8-0 run that propelled the Eagles to a 32-17 advantage. 

Conley’s coast-to-coast driving layup stopped the spurt. Another Knepper three-pointer and two layups by 6-3 soph post Cori Dehart increased the Eagle lead. 

Conley splashed two foul shots, and Kenley Poling finished a fast break off a nice long lead pass from sister Lexi. A southpaw layup by Dehart put L-B on top 41-25 at intermission.

Gerken opened the second half by drilling a triple from the top of the key. Lexi Poling swished an 18-footer from the circle, and Kenley Poling also drained a 17-foot shot.

Lexi Poling pulled up in transition and swished a left wing trifecta to make it 47-34. Dehart then hit a 10-footer, and powered inside for two layups.

Junior Ashley Hevlin buried a right baseline 15-footer to bring Ada within 52-37 after three periods.

Andreasen drilled a 12-footer to start the final stanza. But Knepper drained her fifth triple, followed by three more trey bombs from Gerken.

Conley sank two driving layups to make it 66-44 with 1:22 remaining. Knepper canned a right baseline runner to close the scoring with a minute to go.

Lexi Poling bombed in five treys to score a team-high 18 points. Conley netted 11 markers. Kenley Poling added six. 

Dehart powered in 20 points. The Eagle trio of Gerken, Knepper and Dehart combined for 65 of the 68 L-B points.

Ada connected on 11 deuces and drilled five triples. The Bulldogs converted seven of 16 foul shots (44 percent).

L-B canned 13 two-pointers and splashed 13 treys. The Eagles converted just three of 10 free throws (30 percent).

Ada 44 (2-11, 0-6 BVC)
Lawrence 0 0-0 0, K. Poling 2 2-4 6, Gibson 0 0-0 0, L. Poling 6 1-4 18, Hevlin 1 1-2 3, Burns 1 0-0 2, Conley 4 3-4 11, Andreasen 2 0-2 4.

Totals: 11-5/7-16/44. 3-pointers: L. Poling 5. 

L-B 68 (9-5, 6-1 BVC)
Dukes 0 1-4 1, Knepper 8 0-0 21, Gerken 8 0-0 24, Modd 1 0-0 2, McDaniel 0 0-2 0, DeHart 9 2-4 20.

Totals: 13-13/3-10/68. 3-pointers: Gerken 8, Knepper 5.

No JV game.

Ada visits non-league foe Ridgedale (2-5) Tuesday, January 14. The Bulldogs are 2-4 on the road and 0-7 at home this season.