The Ada High School girls basketball team suffered a long first-half scoring drought and lost to league-leading visitor Delphos Jefferson 57-27 in Northwest Conference action Thursday night, January 13.
The Bulldog girls fell behind 17-3 after the first period against the tough press and physicality of the 12th-ranked Lady Wildcats.
Ada junior guard Courtney Sumner spearheaded an 11-2 second quarter run, but DJ pulled away for good with a 22-7 third stanza.
The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 4-11 overall and 0-5 in the NWC with the defeat. Meanwhile, the Lady Wildcats improved to 14-1 and 4-0 in the NWC with the victory.
"The first quarter killed us, we only had one basket," said fourth-year Ada head coach Morgan Bass. "It was 11-11 in the second quarter.
"Delphos is a very good team," she added. "Our effort was there, we didn't give up."
Bulldog sophomore playmaker Olivia Burkhart sank a one-footed runner 90 seconds into the game to make it 3-2. But Ada then went 10 minutes without another basket.
During that span, DJ went on a 22-1 run to go ahead 25-3 and seize complete control. Powerful senior guard Alycia Lindeman racked up nine points in the run.
Sumner came alive by swishing a right corner triple to end the drought. She then canned a driving bank shot. Burkhart splashed a left wing trey to pull Ada within 25-11 at the 1:19 mark of the first half.
Wildcat Josie McGue bounced in a pull-up shot to end the 8-0 Bulldog spurt. Sumner responded by knocking down a right wing trifecta 13 seconds before intermission.
McGue notched a foul shot to make it 28-14 at halftime.
Jefferson put the game out of reach with a 15-2 flurry to open the second half. The Lindeman sisters combined for nine points, and 6-2 post Lauren French added two inside baskets.
Burkhart netted the lone Ada basket in the run as DJ stretched its lead to 43-18.
Sumner then made a nice baseline backdoor cut, received a pass from Burkhart and rolled in a traditional three-point play with 2:21 left in the third stanza.
The Wildcats ran off the next six points before Ada sophomore Mariah King scored on a layup stickback to make it 50-21 after three periods.
Sumner stole the ball and drove coast to coast for a southpaw layin to open the final quarter. Daicy Robinson sank a layup, and Burkhart splashed a left elbow 15-footer to provide the final margin of 30.
Sumner topped Ada with 13 points, three steals and one blocked shot. Burkhart contributed nine points.
Alycia Lindeman led all players with 17 points, while Lyv Lindeman netted 14 points. French added eight markers.
The Lady Bulldogs canned 11 field goals. Ada made eight two-pointers and three trifectas. The purple and gold converted two of three attempts from the charity stripe (67 percent).
The Wildcat girls sank 23 field goals, hitting on 19 two-pointers and four triples. DJ converted seven of 10 free throws (70 percent).
Ada 27 (4-11, 0-5 NWC)
King 1 0-0 2, Sumner 5 1-1 13, K. Poling 0, L. Poling 0, Burkhart 4 0-0 9, Jordan 0, Sizemore 0, Robinson 1 1-2 3.
Totals: 8-3/2-3/27. 3-pointers: Sumner 2, Burkhart 1.
DJ 57 (14-1, 4-0 NWC)
Wiltsie 1 0-0 2, Teman 3 0-0 6, Rode 1 0-0 2, Lyv. Lindeman 6 1-2 14, Alyc. Lindeman 5 5-6 17, McGue 1 1-2 3, French 4 0-0 8, Marquiss 1 0-0 2, Rostorfer 1 0-0 3.
Totals: 19-4/7-10/57. 3-pointers: Alyc. Lindeman 2, Lyv. Lindeman 1, Rostorfer 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 3 11 7 6 27
DJ 17 11 22 7 57
Ada hosts non-league county rival Ridgemont (2-10) Monday, January 17. The Gopher girls lost to Waynesfield Thursday night, 52-50.
The Bulldogs then entertain local arch-rival USV (0-13) Monday, January 24. USV lost to Perry 47-37 Thursday. The Ada girls overwhelmed the Rams 51-18 in the Border Battle semifinals Dec. 28 at Allen East.
