By Cort Reynolds
ADA__The Ada High School girls basketball team built an early lead but eventually lost to hot-shooting guest Riverdale 60-45 on Tuesday, December 12.
Ada raced to a nine-point lead with 4:45 left in the first period. But Riverdale heated up its shooting and could do little wrong offensively in the middle quarters as they outscored the Bulldog girls, 32-16.
The Falcons ended the first half on an 18-5 run, then staved off a late Ada rally with an 11-0 spurt to seal the outcome.
The Bulldogs girls dropped to 3-4 overall with the non-league defeat. The Falcon girls improved to 2-4 after the victory.
Senior point guard Olivia Burkhart returned to the Ada lineup after missing one game due to illness, and led the Bulldogs with 18 points.
Riverdale junior Mariah Bonham scored 17 of her game-high 19 points to keep the Falcons alive early. Freshman guard Annaliese Woodruff came off the bench and scored 12 big second-half points when Ada clamped down on Bonham after intermission.
“We started out well and confident,” said Ada head coach Zach Ricker. “When Riverdale went to a 3-2 zone, we got passive and never adjusted or reversed the ball well enough.
“On defense we would play solid for 20-25 seconds but then have lapses. I thought we played the hardest we have all year, but we only played six girls basically with Anna Conley still not healthy,” he added.
Ada streaked to an 8-3 lead as Lexi Poling splashed two early triples. A 10-foot banker by Autumn Andreasen and two Mariah King foul shots extended the early Bulldog margin to 12-3 just 3:15 into the game.
Bonham sank an early triple and nailed a 17-footer to stop a 7-0 Ada run. Her left wing trey sliced the deficit to 12-10. Andreasen made a layin to counter a 7-0 Falcon flurry.
Yet Kinsey Shull nailed a trifecta to inch within 14-13 at the 1:05 mark. Burkhart canned a short bank shot and two foul shots to put Ada back on top 18-13 after the opening stanza.
Bonham hit a short banker to start the second period. The Bulldogs surged in front 21-15 after a Poling field goal, but then the Falcons caught fire.
Bonham swished a right wing trey, then rumbled down the lane for two more with 5:17 left in the half. Harlee Gonzales then bounced in a runner, was fouled and completed the three-point play to give the visitors their first lead.
Burkhart knocked down a lane runner off the glass to tie it 23-23 at the 2:22 mark. Bonham netted a driving layup, but Burkhart answered by nailing a triple to give Ada its last lead at 26-25.
“That is the best I have seen her play in person and on film all year,” said Ricker of physical 5-9 junior Mariah Bonham. “She moves well for her size.”
Riverdale ran off the last eight points of the half to grab a 33-26 intermission advantage. Gonzales scored four points, then speedy freshman Marissa Bonham sank a pull-up shot.
Marissa Bonham then made a reverse layup 11 seconds before halftime to cap the 20-8 Falcon quarter.
Mariah Bonham sank a layup to start the second half, but then Ricker switched senior Mariah King onto her. The long-armed, mobile senior did a fine defensive job, holding her scoreless the final 15 minutes.
“Mariah King did a good job guarding her,” Ricker noted.
Ada senior Katie Sizemore rattled in a 10-footer, yet Shull answered by sinking a right wing triple. A lane banker by Gonzales increased their lead to 40-28 at the 4:10 mark.
Burkhart drove the right baseline and made a tough floater to pull within 10. Woodruff then came off the pines and gave the Falcons a big lift.
The freshman redhead sank a pull-up shot and swished a right corner trey, sandwiched around two Sizemore foul shots, to give the Falcons a 45-32 lead.
Ada sophomore Anna Conley canned an eight-footer 11 seconds before the third period buzzer to pull the hosts within 11 heading to the final stanza.
Woodruff converted a traditional three-point play on a left-handed runner to restore their lead to 13.
“Woodruff was huge,” Ricker agreed.
Three Burkhart free throws and an Andreasen layin off a nice post feed from Poling edged Ada within 48-39.
King then canned a driving bank shot, and Burkhart sank two more charity stripers to get Ada to 48-43 with 4:01 remaining.
But then Riverdale reeled off an 11-0 spurt to regain control and win going away. Marissa Bonham hit a basket, then drained a triple. Four straight foul shots and an Atleigh Vent lane shot that bounced in extended the lead to 59-43.
Burkhart swiped the ball in backcourt and converted a layup with 30 seconds left to provide the final basket.
“We didn’t move the ball well,” said Ricker. “The ball stayed on one side too much. Olivia played well, and gave everything she had coming off the flu.”
Poling contributed eight markers, and King tallied seven. Bulldog senior Autumn Andreasen added six points.
Gonzales tallied 10 points, and Marissa Bonham contributed nine markers and several assists.
It was the first varsity game Ada has played with three female officials.
The Bulldogs canned a dozen two-point goals and made three three-point attempts. Ada converted 12 out of 16 free throws (75 percent).
The Falcon girls connected on 14 two-point field goals and drilled seven shots beyond the arc. Riverdale converted 11 of 13 charity stripers (85 percent).
Ada (0-1 NWC, 1-1 road) tries to snap a three-game losing skid when they visit unbeaten Columbus Grove for their annual NWC Bulldog battle Thursday, Dec. 14.
CG (1-0 NWC) edged visiting Allen East in an overtime thriller league lidlifter last Thursday, 53-51.
“Grove is 4-0 and Lauren Auchmuty is a handful, she is very good,” said Ricker. “We just have to focus on ourselves and compete.”
Auchmuty’s tough lane shot in the final seconds edged AE last Thursday in OT.
Ada 45 (3-4)
Burkhart 5 7-8 18, King 2 3-4 7, L. Poling 3 0-0 8, K. Poling 0, A. Andreasen 3 0-2 6, Sizemore 1 2-2 4, 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 12-3/12-16/45. 3-pointers: L. Poling 2, Burkhart 1.
Riverdale 60 (2-3)
Thacker 0, Marissa Bonham 4 0-0 9, Mariah Bonham 8 0-0 19, Gonzales 3 4-5 10, Vent 1 0-0 2, Shull 2 2-2 8, Woodruff 3 4-5 12.
Totals: 14-7-/11-13/560. 3-pointers: Mariah Bonham 3, Shull 2, Woodruff 1, Marissa Bonham 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 18 8 8 11 45
Rdl 13 20 12 15 60
JV: Riverdale 22, Ada 11.
