Ada stops Waynesfield-Goshen in opener -
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By Cort Reynolds
McGUFFEY - Tournament host Upper Scioto Valley used a big third quarter to beat spunky backyard rival Ada 56-49 in the finals of the third annual boys Border Battle basketball tournament Saturday night.
USV 6-5 senior Quinn Sanders scored a game-high 30 points to lead the Rams to victory.
Ada had its three-game win streak snapped as they fell to 4-6. USV improved to 6-4 by winning their third consecutive boys Border tourney title.
"I was very happy with our effort," said Bulldog fourth-year head coach Dre White. "It was a good measuring stick for us as we look ahead to the second half of the year.
"Quinn dominated despite our looks to slow him down," he continued. "I am excited to get back to work and we see them again very soon," (January 11 at USV) he added.
Ada led 13-10 after the first quarter. Quinn Sanders scored six points inside and sophomore Connor Sanders added the other two early USV baskets.
Bulldog junior guard Zac Swaney started Ada off with a triple, followed by a Phillip Coulson basket. A left-handed driving bucket and a foul shot by Brandon Hull put Ada in front, 8-4.
A Coulson trey gave the Bulldogs and 11-8 edge. Cayden Murphy then canned a transition layup from Hull. Sanders bounced in a short shot to cut the deficit to three at the end of the opening stanza.
After both teams went scoreless for a stretch, Quinn Sanders tied it on a conventional three-point putback inside with 6:05 left in the half. Swaney powered in his own three-point play after a good head fake along the left baseline.
Ram guard Jackson Rohrs drove through the defense for a layin, yet Coulson answered at the other end. Rohrs banked in a twisting layup for a 19-18 USV edge at the 2:40 mark.
Ada senior post Jake Rayl was fouled on a putback try but missed both shots. Quinn Sanders then buried a right wing trey with 1:22 to go in the half.
Sanders then stole the ball and was fouled, but missed both shots. Swaney banked in a right corner trifecta off the corner of the backboard to inch within 22-21 with 28 seconds left.
Tristan Fisher converted two foul shots with eight seconds to go in the half. Fisher was then fouled coming down with a defensive rebound with just a second left in the half.
He splashed one of two to cap a 15-8 second quarter and give USV a 25-21 lead at intermission.
The Rams scored the first three baskets of the second half, two inside by Quinn Sanders, to extend their lead to 31-21.
Coulson's driving layup ended the 9-0 run, but Sanders dunked and scored inside off a Rohrs lob to rebuild the lead to 35-23 halfway through the third period.
Swaney drained a right wing trifecta off a nice Coulson drive and dish at the 3:16 mark. Another Sanders layin was followed by single free throws from Coulson and Hull.
Fisher split a pair at the stripe to go up 38-28. USV broke an Ada press, and Connor Sanders buried a right corner trey. Quinn Sanders then stole the ball and threw down an uncontested reverse dunk to put the Rams ahead 43-28 at the end of three periods.
USV outscored Ada 18-7 in the critical period, with senior Sanders tallying 10.
Ada junior guard Micah Cook sank a reverse layup to open the fourth period. But Fisher canned a breakaway layin moments later. Swaney swished a left corner triple to pull within 45-33.
After a Hull foul shot, Sanders netted an alley-oop layin. The big man then hit two at the foul line. Ada senior Ty Miller drove the baseline and was fouled, hitting one of two free throws. Hull weaved his way coast to coast for a layin to cut it to 49-37 with 3:55 remaining.
Coulson converted a pair at the foul line. Rohrs then sank a layup off two great successive save passes from halfcourt to the right corner by Drew Stephens and Sanders. Yet Hull drove for another basket with 2:15 to go to keep Ada alive, 52-41.
Hull picked off a pass at halfcourt and converted with a southpaw layin to pull within nine with just 78 seconds left. After a Cayden Murphy steal, Coulson scored inside.
But Quinn Sanders answered with a short shot to rebuild the lead to 54-45. Ram sophomore Kadyn Hurley hit a layup off a pressbreaker to go up by 11. Hull then netted a layup off a nice hesitation move drive.
Murphy splashed a 12-footer with 11 seconds left to provide the final margin. Ada outscored USV 21-13 in the fourth period but it was too little, too late.
Swaney and junior playmaker Hull led Ada with 15 points apiece. Swaney knocked down four triples. Senior wing Coulson netted 12 points.
Connor Sanders tallied nine points and Rohrs added eight for USV.
The Bulldogs connected on 18 of 60 shots from the field (30 percent). Ada made 13 of 41 inside the arc (32 percent) and five of 19 from beyond the three-point line (26 percent).
The Rams sank 23 of 56 field goal tries (41 percent), including 21 of 44 two-pointers (48 percent) and 2-12 on triples (17 percent).
Ada converted eight of 17 from the charity stripe (47 percent) while USV canned eight of 18 charity stripers (44 percent).
The Rams out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 45-38. Hull led Ada with nine caroms. USV committed 15 turnovers to 10 errors by the Bulldogs.
Ada 49 (4-6)
Swaney 5 1-1 15, C. Murphy 2 0-0 4, Hull 6 3-8 15, Coulson 4 3-4 12, Rayl 0 0-2 0, Cook 1 0-0 2, Miller 0 1-2 1.
Totals: 18-60/8-17/49. 3-pointers (5-19): Swaney 4, Coulson 1.
USV 56 (6-4)
Rohrs 4 0-0 8, Fisher 1 4-6 6, Thompson 0, Stephens 0, C. Sanders 4 0-1 9, Hurley 1 1-3 3, Q. Sanders 13 3-7 30.
Totals: 23-56/8-18/56. 3-pointers (2-12): C. Sanders 1, Q. Sanders 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 13 8 7 21 49
USV 10 15 18 13 56
No JV game.
Next up, Ada plays host to New Knoxville (2-4) Saturday, January 4 in a non-league contest. "We will bounce back on Monday at practice as we prepare for New Knoxville and Delphos Jefferson (Jan. 10)," said White.
USV returns to the court when they visit former NWC foe Lincolnview Friday, January 3.
Ada boys rally to beat Tigers on Swaney triple
With the score tied 52-52, Ada junior guard Zac Swaney drained a three-point buzzer-beater to give the Bulldogs their third win in a row.
McGUFFEY - Ada rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to nip Waynesfield-Goshen 55-52 at the very end in the semifinals of the third annual boys Border Battle basketball tournament Friday night.
Ada trailed 13-5 after one period and was behind 33-22 at intermission. But a 19-7 third quarter run put the purple and gold on top, 41-40.
With the score tied 52-52, Ada junior guard Zac Swaney drained a three-point buzzer-beater to give the Bulldogs their third win in a row.
Ada improved to 4-5 and advanced to the tournament finals vs. host Upper Scioto Valley Saturday at 5 p.m.
"It was not the start we were looking for; Waynesfield came out and smacked us in the mouth so give their kids and staff credit for that," said Bulldog fourth-year head coach Dre White.
"Many things did not go our way but in the end we stuck together and found a way to get a win," he continued. "Zac hit a big shot to win it."
Ada junior guard Micah Cook sank five treys en route to a career-high 16 points. Senior wing Phillip Coulson contributed 14 markers, while junior playmaker Brandon Hull added 10.
Tiger junior guard Layton Campbell led all scorers with 21 points. Freshman guard Isaiah Sanders added 15 points.
"Layton Campbell is a handful to stop, and I was really impressed with their freshman Sanders," White noted. "He is going to be good."
The Bulldogs connected on 22 shots from the field, including six from beyond the arc. The Tigers sank 20 field goals, including 13 two-pointers and seven triples.
Ada converted five of nine from the charity stripe (56 percent) while W-G canned five of seven charity stripers (71 percent).
Ada 55 (4-5)
Swaney 3-0-7, C. Murphy 1-0-2, Hull 5-0-10, Coulson 5-4-14, Rayl 1-0-2, Cook 5-1-16, Miller 2-0-4.
Totals: 22/5-9/55. 3-pointers: Cook 5, Swaney 1.
W-G 52 (2-6)
Elliott 1-0-2, Campbell 9-2-21, Rumer 2-0-6, Sanders 5-2-15, Kaufman 3-1-8.
Totals: 20/5-7/52. 3-pointers: Sanders 3, Rumer 2, Campbell 1, Kaufman 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 5 17 19 14 55
W-G 13 20 7 12 52
No JV game.
USV 54 - AE 32
Host USV beat Allen East 54-32 in the second semifinal Friday night. The Rams improved to 5-4 (3-2 home) by handing the Mustangs their fourth straight loss.
"Quinn Sanders is a handful as he is averaging over 25 points per game," said White. "We will have to do some things to slow him down and give us a chance.
"I'm excited to see how our kids play in a championship scenario," he added. The title game is at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28. Ada is 1-3 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites this season.
