The visiting Ada High School boys basketball team committed costly turnovers in a 54-33 loss to Delphos Jefferson in a Northwest Conference contest Friday night, January 14.
The Bulldogs are 4-9 overall and 0-3 NWC with the defeat. DJ improved to 3-9 and 1-2 in the NWC after the win.
The Bulldogs trailed 17-9 after one period and 30-18 at halftime. Ada was behind heading to the final stanza, 40-26.
"We were way too passive," said first-year Bulldog head coach Vince Halliday. "We were never in the game."
The Bulldogs committed 23 costly turnovers, including 13 in the first half.
DJ pulled ahead 19-9 early in the second stanza. Ada junior Carter Conley stole the ball and scored, but Jefferson spurted ahead 23-11. Bulldog senior Cayden Murphy then netted an inside basket.
Bulldog junior Grant Preston splashed a triple midway through the second stanza to edge the visitors within 24-16. But DJ outscored Ada 6-2 over the final three minutes of the half to grab a 12-point intermission lead.
Delphos began the third quarter on a damaging 7-0 run, capitalizing on three turnovers.
Ada junior Ethan Murphy converted a conventional three-point play to pull the Bulldogs within 37-21 midway through the period.
A trey by Wildcat backup Isaac Gallmeier built the margin back to 19. Ada guard Jacob Sutherly hit a basket, and he then drained a three-pointer to inch the Bulldogs within 40-26 heading to the final period.
A Levi Rode Wildcat trey opened the final stanza. Cayden Murphy canned a floater, and Jaden Leal later added a stickback bucket with three minutes remaining to make it 48-31.
DJ's Cole Hoersten hit three late baskets, and Conley netted the final Ada field goal to close the scoring.
Conley led Ada with nine points. Ethan Murphy and Jaden Leal scored six points apiece. Sutherly added five markers off the bench.
Rode led nine Wildcat scorers with 11 points. Caden Carder also tallied 11 markers behind three trifectas. Trent Teman added nine points.
Ada connected on 13 baskets, draining 10 of 21 two-pointers (48 percent) and shooting three for 15 on trifectas (20 percent). Overall, they shot 13 for 36 from the floor (36 percent).
The Bulldogs converted four of their five charity stripe attempts (80 percent).
DJ canned 15 baskets, connecting on 14 two-pointers and five of 16 triple tries (31 percent). Overall, Jefferson shot 19 of 39 from the field (49 percent). The Wildcats hit on 11 of 14 throw attempts (79 percent).
Both teams pulled down 19 rebounds.
Ada 33 (4-9, 0-4 NWC)
C. Murphy 2 0-0 4, Conley 3 3-4 9, Sutherly 2 0-0 5, Leal 3 0-0 6, Wall 0, Preston 1 0-0 3, E. Murphy 2 1-1 6.
Totals: 10-3/4-5/33. 3-pointers (3-15): E. Murphy 1, Conley 1, Sutherly 1.
DJ 54 (3-9, 1-2 NWC)
Rode 4 2-2 11, Gallmeier 1 2-2 5, Colin Bailey 3 1-3 7, Hoersten 3 0-0 6, Teman 2 5-6 9, Carder 4 0-0 11, Miller 1 0-0 2, Cody Bailey 1 0-0 2, Agner 0 1-2 1.
Totals: 14-5/11-14/54. 3-pointers: Carder 3, Gallmeier 1, Rode 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 9 9 8 7 33
DJ 17 13 10 14 54
JV: DJ 44, Ada 39.
The Bulldogs host improved county rival Hardin Northern (7-5) Saturday, Jan. 15. The JV game tips off early with a 5 p.m. start.
HN lost at Marion Elgin 75-37 Friday night.
