PHOTOS by Mark Andreasen

By Cort Reynolds

ADA__The Ada High School girls basketball team lost a close Blanchard Valley Conference contest to visiting Van Buren 41-35 on Thursday, January 15.

The game was tight all the way, with the Black Knights pulling away slightly in the final period to win.

VB led the tight battle 31-30 heading to the final quarter. The Knights outscored the Bulldog girls 10-5 in the fourth period to notch the six-point win.

The game was tied 9-9 after the first period, and VB edged in front 19-18 at intermission. Ada freshman Shay Smith canned all four of her free-throw tries in the second period. The Bulldogs sank five of their nine attempts in the quarter.

The teams fought to a 12-12 tie in the third period as four Bulldogs scored. The Knight girls clung to a one-point edge heading to the fourth quarter.  

“I was happy with our effort overall tonight,” said Ada head coach Zach Ricker.

The Bulldogs fell to 8-8 overall and 2-5 in the BVC after the home defeat.    

Van Buren improved to 7-6 overall and 3-3 in BVC play with the road victory. 

Bulldog freshman Te’a Griffith led Ada with 13 points. She scored six points in the first half and tallied six more in the third period. 

Freshman Shay Smith netted six points. Junior guard Jaylin St. Laurent added a trifecta and five markers.  

Brooklyn Wilkin led VB with 11 points. Lilli Wilson tallied eight markers, and Kaitlyn Homan added seven.

The Bulldog girls connected on 11 two-point goals, buried one triple and converted 10 of 16 free throws (63 percent). 

The Black Knights canned 13 two-pointers, knocked down three treys and sank six of 16 charity stripers (38 percent). 

Ada dropped to 3-6 at home this season with the close defeat.  

The Bulldog girls play at McComb (7-7, 3-3 BVC) on Thursday, January 22. The next Ada home game is Saturday, Jan. 24 vs. non-league foe Fort Jennings (2-11).

Ada 35 (8-8, 2-5 BVC)

Poling 0 0-0 0, St. Laurent 1 2-2 5, Gibson 0 0-0 0, Smith 1 4-4 6, Carter 2 1-3 5, Conley 1 1-4 3, Hevlin 1 1-1 3, Griffith 6 1-2 13. 

Totals: 11-1/10-16/35. 3-pointers: St. Laurent 1.

VB 41 (7-6, 3-3 BVC)

Homan 3 1-2 7, Bro. Wilkin 5 0-2 11, Wilson 3 1-2 8, Bowman 1 3-8 5, Bri. Wilkin 1 0-0 2, Ponn 1 1-2 4, Scherf 1 0-0 2, Hudok 1 0-0 2.

Totals: 13-3/6-16/41. 3-pointers: Bro. Wilkin 1, Ponn 1, Wilson 1.