By Cort Reynolds
PAULDING - The Ada girls basketball team tipped off the road portion of its Northwest Conference slate with a 64-49 defeat at Paulding on a frigid Thursday night.
The Lady Bulldogs fell to 1-3 and 0-2 in league play following their third consecutive loss. Meanwhile, the Panthers improved to 1-5 overall and 1-0 in the NWC with their first victory.
"We couldn't stop their big girls," said third-year Ada head coach Bill Taflinger. Brianna Townley of Paulding led all players with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The Panthers outscored Ada by a combined total of 35-19 in the second and fourth periods to decide the outcome.
The Bulldogs trailed 32-21 at the half, but rallied within 44-41 late in the third quarter. However, that was as close as they would get as Paulding ended the game on a 20-8 run.
Senior Haley Wyss led Ada with 13 points. Junior Maddie Gossard netted a dozen markers while Anney Archer added nine.
The cold-shooting Bulldogs hit on just 16 percent from two-point range (4-for-25). Paulding sank 23 of 39 from two-point range and out-rebounded Ada 42-23.
Ada also lost a two-quarter reserve contest, 29-5.
The Bulldog girls (0-1 home) host solid non-league foe Arcadia Saturday at 1 p.m. The JV game will be only two quarters in length.
