Playing at home, the Ada High School boys basketball team started well and battled hard but fell 49-41 to Lincolnview in a Northwest Conference contest to end the regular season Friday, February 18.
On Bulldog senior night–playing before the biggest home crowd of the season–Ada missed 12 of its 20 free throw attempts to impede its own cause.
The Bulldogs led 14-13 after the first quarter, and trailed 24-22 at halftime. The Lancers edged ahead 38-31 after 24 minutes. Ada rallied within four points twice in the final period, but the Lancers put on a late 7-0 run to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
The Bulldogs fell to 4-18 and ended up 0-8 in the NWC with the tough defeat. Meanwhile, Lincolnview improved to 5-17 and finished 3-5 in the NWC with the win.
"Eight for 20 at the foul line is not very good," said Ada head coach Vince Halliday. "You have to make free throws. Defensively, we struggled to find people sometimes."
Lincolnview head coach Brett Hammons was happy to stop a three-game losing streak.
"We made some timely shots and hit some free throws down the stretch to seal the game," he said. "Our defense was pretty good, we kept them out of the paint."
Bulldog junior Grant Preston started off strong by nailing two triples and a power layup to tally the first eight Ada points.
Lancer senior guard Garrett Richardson sank two driving shots and a right corner triple late in the opening period to pull the visitors within 14-13.
"Obviously, we started well and Grant carried us the first quarter," said Halliday. "In the second quarter we lost our composure on offense and struggled to score."
Preston canned a backdoor layup and Cayden Murphy drilled two foul shots to give Ada an 18-13 lead early in the second frame.
Back-to-back treys from Carson Fox and Cal Evans gave the Lancers a 19-18 edge. Murphy's putback basket was answered by a Richardson trifecta that gave the visitors the lead for good.
Senior post Ethan Crow sank a stickback, and Murphy hit two free tosses to make it 24-22 at intermission.
A Fox trey and a basket from Daegan Hatfield extended the Lincolnview lead to 29-22 at the start of period three. Crow's weakside putback and a layup were sandwiched around a left corner trey by Ethan Murphy.
Spencer Wall netted three quick points, followed by a Hatfield jump hook. Cayden Murphy drove hard for a layin, but Avery Slusher drilled a line-drive left corner triple to give the Lancers a 38-31 edge after three periods.
Hatfield scored off a pretty drive and lookaway dish from Richardson to open the final stanza. Bulldog Carter Conley made a follow floater, and Murphy's layup cut the Ada deficit to 40-35.
A Preston foul shot at the 5:06 mark edged Ada within four points. Slusher then nailed an open 14-foot left wing shot to go back ahead by six with 4:30 remaining.
Conley hustled in a layup putback to inch within 42-38 with 2:41 left.
Crow then came up with a key weakside tip-in at the 2:16 juncture.
"That was a big basket," Hammons agreed.
"We had guys around the boards, but no one put a body on him," said Halliday.
After an Ada miss, Slusher canned two free throws to stretch the margin to 46-38 with 1:12 left to play. Ada missed two free throws, followed by Richardson hitting three of four charity stripers to cap a decisive 7-0 spurt.
Cayden Murphy split a pair at the line and Conley added a layup in the final 15 seconds to cut the final margin to eight.
Cayden Murphy led Ada with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Preston added a career-high 11 points.
"Cayden played really hard," said Halliday. "Grant had his best game offensively."
Richardson led a balanced Lincolnview team with 13 points. Crow contributed 10 points, while Fox netted eight and Slusher added seven markers.
"Slusher, Fox and Crow made some big baskets," Hammons noted. "Richardson had a good game. A lot of players stepped up to hit shots."
Ada found the bottom of the net on 15 field shots, sinking 12 two-pointers and three trifectas. The Bulldogs converted just eight of 20 charity stripe attempts (40 percent).
The Lancers canned 18 field goals, also connecting on a dozen two-pointers while sinking six triples.
Lincolnview converted seven of nine free throw attempts (78 percent).
It was the last home game for Ada senior Cayden Murphy.
Lincolnview also won the reserve contest, 50-34. Gage Hoffer led the Bulldogs with 13 points.
Ada 41 (4-18, 0-8 NWC)
C. Murphy 4 5-12 13, Conley 3 0-2 6, Wall 1 2-4 4, Leal 1 0-0 2, Preston 4 1-2 11, Sutherly 0, E. Murphy 2 0-0 5.
Totals: 12-3/8-20/41. 3-pointers: Preston 2, E. Murphy 1.
Lincolnview 49 (5-17, 3-5 NWC)
Slusher 2 2-2 7, Hatfield 3 0-1 6, Fox 2 2-2 8, Richardson 4 3-4 13, Crow 5 0-0 10, Evans 2 0-0 5.
Totals: 12-6/7-9/49. 3-pointers: Richardson 2, Fox 2, Slusher 1, Evans 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 14 8 9 10 41
Lvw 13 11 14 11 49
JV: L'view 50, Ada 34.
The Bulldogs play St. Henry (12-10) in the Div. IV sectional semifinals Tuesday, February 22 at Coldwater.
