By Cort Reynolds
MT. BLANCHARD - The potent Bulldog girls' backcourt combined for 35 points to lead the visiting Ada girls basketball team over Riverdale 44-35 in a non-league contest Tuesday night, December 6.
The Bulldog girls improved to 3-3 with their second straight win. The Falcon girls fell to 1-5 with the defeat.
"Defensively, it was probably one of our better performances as a team after we got settled down in the first quarter," noted first-year Ada head coach Zach Ricker.
Senior guard Courtney Sumner and junior backcourt partner Olivia Burkhart each scored 10 points in the first half as Ada built a 24-18 intermission lead.
Sumner then fired in 11 third-period points on three triples to power Ada to a 37-26 lead.
"Courtney got some easy buckets early and she knocked down a couple big shots in the third to stretch our lead," said Ricker. "Olivia stepped up in the second and was being more aggressive offensively, which got her going."
Burkhart canned 10 of her 14 points in the second stanza, which the Bulldogs won 15-11. Ada outscored Riverdale 28-19 over the middle two periods.
The Bulldogs led 9-7 after the first period as Sumner tallied seven points. A 13-8 third quarter extended the Ada lead to 11 points and they held on for the win.
Harlee Gonzales led the Falcons with 18 points.
The Lady Bulldogs sank 16 field goals, canning 11 two-pointers and five shots from three-point territory. The Bulldogs converted seven of 17 foul shots (41 percent).
The Riverdale girls canned 15 field goals, making 13 two-pointers and two treys. The Falcons converted three of their mere four free throw attempts (75 percent).
Ada 44 (3-3)
King 1 1-1 3, Sumner 8 1-7 21, Burkhart 5 3-3 14, Andreasen 0 2-4 2, Poling 0, Sizemore 2 0-2 4, Conley 0.
Totals: 11-5/7-17/44. 3-pointers: Sumner 4, Burkhart 1.
Riverdale 35 (1-5)
Biltoft 1 0-0 3, Bonham 2 1-1 5, Carteaux 1 0-0 2, Gonzales 8 1-2 18, Combs 1 0-0 2, Shull 2 1-1 5.
Totals: 13-2/3-4/35. 3-pointers: Biltoft 1, Gonzales 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 9 15 13 7 44
Rdl 7 11 8 9 35
Ada (0-1 NWC) hosts Columbus Grove (2-3, 0-1 NWC) Thursday, December 8 in their annual Bulldog battle league encounter.
Ada is 1-2 at home.
