Ada boys start 3-0
By Cort Reynolds
Playing at home, the Ada High School boys basketball team soundly defeated McComb 66-45 in their non-conference home opener Saturday night, December 3, to continue a strong start.
Ada improved to 3-0, their best record out of the gate in over a decade, with the one-sided win. The Panthers dropped to 1-1 with the decisive defeat.
Bulldog senior Carter Conley drove and shot his way to a game-high 21 points to pace the rout. Sixth man Jayden Bankston contributed 16 big points off the bench.
"That was about as complete a game as we've played at both ends of the floor since I've been here," said second-year Bulldog head coach Vince Halliday. "I was pleased with our defense. McComb scored 79 points the night before.
"Jayden came off the bench and gave us a big lift," he added. "Carter played well."
Ada senior guard Spencer Wall tallied 11 points. "Spencer was more aggressive driving the ball," said the coach. Senior Ethan Murphy added eight points.
Conley canned two hard-driving shots in the first 90 seconds of the game, displaying improved assertiveness. Panther Mason Holman drained a long triple to give McComb a 7-4 lead.
Ada senior Grant Preston splashed a right wing trifecta to tie it 8-8. A Wall putback layin and a left wing trey by Conley gave the Bulldogs the lead at 13-10.
McComb tied it for the last time 13-all on a trifecta from the left side by Holman. But he was held to just six points the rest of the game.
Murphy sank a half-hook, then faked a handoff and drove the right baseline for a layin to give Ada a 17-13 edge after the first period.
Conley canned a driving banker early in period two. Grant Dishong drained a left wing trey to get McComb within 22-18, but an 8-3 Ada spurt sparked by Bankston extended the lead to 30-21.
A driving layin by Wall was followed by Conley's right wing triple swisher. Conley then stole the ball and drove upcourt for a southpaw layup and a 39-25 lead 44 seconds before halftime.
Two Panther foul shots cut the lead to 12 at intermission.
McComb's Blake Wittenmyer opened half two by hitting a trey from the top of the key. But the Bulldogs reeled off the next 11 points to lead by 20, and were never threatened thereafter.
Wall scored six points in the run behind a baseline floater and a half-hook in the lane. Bankston tallied a transition layup and another layin off a steal to cap the decisive 11-0 flurry.
Bankston then converted a traditional three-point play inside to tally seven straight Ada points. A Conley stickback inside stretched the lead to 55-34.
Panther Preston Rodriguez canned a stumbling triple at the buzzer to cut the Ada lead to 18 after three quarters.
Another Bankston three-point play, and a spinning post-up basket by Murphy gave Ada a 23-point cushion. Conley curled through the lane for a nice driving finish.
Bankston hit two foul shots. Conley then drove the open left baseline for a one-handed semi-dunk to give Ada its biggest lead at 25 points with 4:33 left.
McComb scored the last two baskets to cut the final margin to 21.
The Bulldogs outscored McComb 38-24 over the two middle periods.
"We played within ourselves," Halliday noted. "Holman had 35 points vs. Riverdale Friday night, and we held him to 10."
The Bulldogs sank 24 shots overall from the field, including 21 two-point goals and three trifectas.
The Bulldogs converted 15 of 20 shots from the charity stripe (75 percent). "That is rock solid foul shooting," said Halliday.
McComb canned 18 field goals. Twelve of their baskets came inside the arc, while they also made six three-point goals. The Panthers sank just three of seven attempts at the foul line (43 percent).
The Bulldogs also prevailed 39-37 in the reserve contest. Zach Zimmerman scored a game-high 10 points, while Brody Erickson added seven.
Ada 66 (3-0)
Wall 4 3-4 11, Sutherly 0, Bankston 5 6-7 16, Conley 9 1-3 21, Leal 1 2-2 4, Preston 2 1-2 6, Murphy 3 2-2 8, Gossard 0.
Totals: 21-3/15-20/66. 3-pointers: Preston 1, Conley 2.
McComb 45 (1-1)
Kline 1 0-0 2, Clark-Rader 1 0-0 3, Rodriguez 3 2-2 9, Downing 1 0-0 2, Baldridge 1 0-2 2, Weaver 1 0-0 2, Dishong 3 0-0 7, Holman 4 0-1 10, Gault 1 1-2 3, Wittenmyer 2 0-0 5.
Totals: 12-6/3-7/45. 3-pointers: Holman 2, Dishong 1, Wittenmyer 1, Rader 1, Rodriguez 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 17 22 16 11 66
McC 13 14 10 8 45
JV: Ada 39, McComb 37.
Ada is scheduled to visit Columbus Grove (0-0) in the Northwest Conference opener Friday. December 9. They then visit non-league foe Perry (1-3) Saturday, Dec. 10.
