By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Host Ada took out five weeks of frustration on winless county rival Hardin Northern by posting a 76-43 blowout win in their annual non-conference boys basketball clash Saturday night.
The purple and gold snapped a nine-game losing skid and improved to 3-11 with the lopsided victory, their first since mid-December over Allen East. Meanwhile, the youthful Polar Bears fell to 0-13 with the defeat.
The Bulldogs registered several season bests in the victory. Their 76 points bettered the previous high by 20. Ada shot a season-best 56 percent from the field and tallied 30 points in a big third quarter that put the game completely out of reach.
"It feels good to bounce back and get back on the winning side convincingly," said Ada second-year head coach Dre White. "I will take 30 points in any quarter. We played fast, unselfish and together. It was a good team win."
A driving lefty layup and a left baseline 17-footer by sophomore Phillip Coulson helped Ada grab a 6-3 lead. Nick Adams nailed a left wing trey and a foul shot to get HN on the board.
A triple by Brady Cramer, two Owen Wetherill foul shots and a driving layin by Adams gave the energetic Polar Bears their biggest lead of the night at 11-6. But Ada reeled off an 11-0 run to grab an 18-12 lead after the opening stanza, and they never trailed again.
Early in the second quarter senior post Seven Williams canned a layup from Swaney, who then hit a driving layup. Ethan Hall sank a fast break layin for a 26-16 Ada lead. Swaney netted three more transition layups to cap another 11-0 spurt as the Bulldogs blew the game open on the break.
A driving shot by Northern junior guard Cody Wilmoth stopped the run and cut the deficit to 35-18 at halftime.
"We started out a little sluggish but in the second quarter we played with energy, emotion and enthusiasm and had some fun," White observed. "We were able to create a gap that we carried into the second half."
Freshman Zac Swaney opened the second half with a steal and a driving three-point play that extended the margin to 20. Another layin by his brother Ethan was followed by a Seth Conley trifecta from out top.
A driving Cramer double-pumper off glass cut the HN deficit to 43-22. Williams sank a jump hook and Coulson buried an 18-footer. Cramer converted a driving three-point play, followed by a southpaw stickback from the senior Swaney.
Junior Cade Mullins sank three free throws and Coulson converted consecutive fast break layups as short-handed HN wearied against the Ada transition assault. Ethan Swaney capped a 12-0 flurry by swishing a right corner triple, making it 59-25.
Bear freshman guard Luke Wilson hit a lane jumper to stem the tide briefly, but Frazier sank a putback inside. Bulldog guard Xavier Hollinger canned a fast break layin and Mullins drilled a 12-foot pull-up from the left wing to cap the 30-10 third period barrage.
When the smoke cleared, Ada led 65-28. Early in the final quarter, Mullins sank a layup and a foul shot before Frazier laid in an alley-oop pass for a 70-30 bulge.
Hollinger buried a trey and Kyle Zimmerly banked home a layup for the final Bulldog basket. HN scored the last six points as Wilson made a driving layup and Wilmoth splashed a right wing trifecta that cut the final margin to 33.
Ethan Swaney led 12 Bulldogs in a balanced scoring column with 15 points. He also added eight rebounds, five assists and no turnovers. "That is the type of play and leadership we need from him," said White.
Coulson netted 13 points while Frazier contributed 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. "Phil and Connor played well," said White.
Mullins added all eight of his points in the second half. "Cade played well to close the game," White noted. "Brandon Hull did a nice job handling the ball, and Zac Swaney played well too off the bench."
Ada out-rebounded smaller HN, 41-26. The Bears committed 13 turnovers to just nine errors by the Bulldogs.
Cramer led HN with 12 points while Adams added nine.
Ada connected on a red-hot 26 of 39 two-point field goal tries (67 percent) and drained four of 15 three-point attempts (27 percent). Overall, they connected on an excellent 30 of 54 from the floor (56 percent).
The Bulldogs converted 12 of 23 foul shots (52 percent).
HN canned 11 shots from the field, including three from beyond the arc. The Polar Bears sank 18 of 28 at the charity stripe (64 percent).
"We grew up some tonight and got some confidence," White added.
The Ada junior varsity also won easily, 68-20. Freshman Brandon Hull topped the Ada reserves (8-4) with 20 points, while Xavier Hollinger added 11.
Ada 76 (3-11)
E. Swaney 7 0-0 15, Mullins 2 4-6 8, Frazier 4 2-2 10, Coulson 6 0-0 13, Williams 4 1-4 9, Z. Swaney 1 2-3 4, Hollinger 2 0-0 5, Amburgey 0 1-3 1, Zimmerly 1 0-0 2, Hall 2 0-0 4, Hull 0 2-5 2, Conrad 0, Jordan 0, Conley 1 0-0 3.
Totals: 30-54/12-23/76. 3-pointers (4-15): E. Swaney 1, Coulson 1, Hollinger 1, Conley 1.
HN 43 (0-13)
Wetherill 0 4-4 4, Cramer 4 3-4 12, Wilmoth 2 2-4 7, Adams 2 4-6 9, Pees 0 4-6 4, Flowers 0 0-2 0, Cooper 1 0-0 2, Wilson 2 1-2 5.
Totals: 11/18-28/43. 3-pointers: Cramer 1, Wilmoth 1, Adams 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 18 17 30 11 76
HN 12 6 10 15 43
JV: Ada 68, HN 20.
Ada (3-4 home) hosts solid Arlington (7-6) Tuesday, Jan. 23 in a non-league contest. The Red Devils (1-6 away) won their first road game at Liberty-Benton 58-47 Friday, then defeated Spencerville 50-44 Saturday at home.
"Arlington is tough with athletic wings," White noted. "Tuesday games are never easy, but at least it is at home. It would be nice to get two wins in a row.
"We have to be more consistent on defense."
