The Ada High School boys basketball team was scorched by the three-point barrage of visiting Crestview on Friday night, January 28. The Knights shot their way to an 81-54 win in Northwest Conference play.
The visitors knocked down 12 of 22 shots beyond the arc.
"They shot the ball really well," said first-year Bulldog head coach Vince Halliday. "Our two keys were to value the ball and protect the rim, but we started off turning the ball over and we didn't protect the rim all night.
"They passed well and they have a high basketball IQ, a good feel for the game," he added. "They are a deep team. We did not put up much resistance."
The Bulldogs dropped to 4-13 overall and 0-5 in the NWC with their ninth straight defeat. Meanwhile, Crestview improved to 11-4 and 5-1 in league play with the win.
Crestview poured in 45 first-half points on red-hot shooting to build a 21-point halftime bulge. The Knights closed the half on a decisive 11-0 run to seize control.
"The key for us was to take care of the ball and take good shots," said Knight head coach Doug Etzler. "That was the best transition offense we have played all year. Everybody made contributions."
Crestview rang up 25 first-period points as Mitch Temple scored nine points and Gavin Etzler netted eight.
Ada stayed in striking distance behind three early driving baskets from Spencer Wall, and four points by Cayden Murphy.
Murphy's jump hook cut the lead to 23-15 but Etzler drained a 19-footer just before the buzzer to build the lead to 10 after one quarter.
The Knights continued their accurate shooting in the second stanza. Temple and Etzler drained early treys to offset a triple from Carter Conley.
Nasir Easterling came off the Knight bench to score six quick points, including a short bank shot just before the halftime horn that capped an 11-0 closing run to the second period.
Cayden Murphy scored four straight points for Ada to inch the hosts within 34-24 with two minutes left in the half. But then the Knights reeled off 11 unanswered points; they were up 21 at intermission.
"We had eight turnovers in the first six and a half minutes, then only three the rest of the half," noted Halliday. "But two of them were live-ball turnovers in the last two minutes of the half when they got the killer run."
A Conley triple answered a layin by Connor Sheets to open the third period. A slick baseline pass by Temple to Carson Hunter resulted in a layup.
Rontae Jackson then drove the middle for a layin, followed by a Cayden Murphy short field goal. Conley splashed a left corner trifecta, but Etzler responded with a trey from out top.
Wall drained a three-point goal to make it 55-35. Temple scored in transition from a Jackson feed. Ethan Murphy continued the triple trend by hitting a three to cut the lead to 19.
Etzler again drilled a high-arching triple. Ethan Murphy drained a long right wing triple at the buzzer to end the third quarter with a 63-42 score.
Nate Lichtle opened the final stanza by hitting a left corner triple. Layups by J.J. Ward and Easterling were followed by consecutive Cayden Murphy three-point plays.
Ryan Sowers nailed a left corner trey. Jaden Leal hit a layup and Wall sank a banker. Kellin Putman canned the Knight triple in the final minute, followed by a Wall basket.
Kaden Kreischer buried a long three before the buzzer to provide the final margin of 27.
Senior Cayden Murphy led Ada with 19 points and six rebounds. Wall tallied 13 markers and also snared six caroms, while junior Conley added 11 points.
"Offensively we were better, Wall was aggressive and Cayden had 19," said Halliday.
Etzler knocked down five triples en route to a team-high 17 points. Jackson netted 16 points, while Temple tallied 14 and Easterling added 10. Twelve Knights scored.
Ada hit the bottom of the net on 20 of 50 shots (40 percent), nailing 14 of 30 two-pointers and six of 20 trifectas (30 percent). The Bulldogs converted eight of nine charity stripe attempts (89 percent).
Crestview canned 32 of 53 field shots (60 percent), connecting on 20 of 31 two-pointers (65 percent) and 12 of 22 triples (54 percent). The Knights converted five of 10 free throw attempts (50 percent).
The Knights also won the JV game, 54-21. Kaine Fisher led Ada with six points. Connor Sheets topped Crestview with 18.
Ada 54 (4-13, 0-5 NWC)
C. Murphy 6 7-8 19, Conley 4 0-0 11, Sutherly 0, Leal 2 1-1 5, Wall 6 0-0 13, Preston 0, E. Murphy 2 0-0 6.
Totals: 14-6/8-9/54. 3-pointers: E. Murphy 2, Wall 1, Conley 3.
Crestview 81 (11-4, 5-1 NWC)
Sowers 1 0-0 3, Jackson 7 2-4 16, Kreischer 1 0-2 3, Temple 6 0-0 14, Hunter 1 1-2 3, Harting 1 0-0 2, Etzler 6 0-0 17, Ward 1 0-0 2, Lichtle 2 0-0 6, Easterling 4 2-2 10, Sheets 1 0-0 2, Putman 1 0-0 3.
Totals: 20-12/5-10/81. 3-pointers: Etzler 5, Temple 2, Lichtle 2, Sowers 1, Kreischer 1, Putman 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 15 9 18 12 54
Cvw 25 20 18 18 81
JV: Crestview 54, Ada 21.
The Bulldogs visit non-league foe Ottoville (10-7) Saturday, January 29. The Big Green edged Kalida 49-47 Friday.
