By Cort Reynolds

ADA - Visiting Spencerville used balanced scoring and a big first half to defeat Ada 68-39 in Northwest Conference girls basketball play Thursday night.

The Lady Bulldogs fell to 4-14 overall and 0-6 in conference play with a fifth straight defeat in their home finale. Meanwhile, the Lady Bearcats improved to 10-7 and remain tied for first in the NWC with the win at 5-1.

After a slow start for both teams, Spencerville rolled to an 18-4 lead en route to a 33-10 halftime bulge, and never was headed.

"Spencerville is very quick and athletic," said Bulldog head coach Bill Taflinger. "Their guards are really athletic. They beat us to everything - rebounds, loose balls - in the first half.

"We had a bad first half and didn't get many shots to fall until the last 12 minutes of the game."

Neither team found the bottom of the net for nearly four minutes to start the contest. Spencerville senior southpaw Jenna Henline nailed consecutive trifectas over the Ada zone to start the scoring.

Bearcat junior post Abbygayle Satterfield sank two layups to give the visitors a 10-2 advantage. Ada junior guard Raina England canned a putback at the 2:11 mark.

Bearcat senior guard Kaiden Grigsby canned a layup off a steal, then banked in a lane runner in the final 75 seconds to help the visitors build a 16-4 margin after one period of play.

Freshman Melanie Koenig's fast break layin opened the second stanza strongly for Spencerville. Henline sank a putback layup, and then the lefty guard nailed a trey from the top of the key for a 23-4 cushion.

Ada senior Maddie Gossard converted two foul shots to end the 13-0 Bearcat run. Koenig canned a layup, followed by two Rilan Conley foul shots.

The black and red then reeled off the last eight points of the half to lead 33-10 at the break.

Ada pulled within 36-15 on a left wing triple from senior Anney Archer at the 4:17 juncture of the third quarter. Archer later stopped a 6-0 Bearcat flurry with a foul shot. Freshman Bearcat guard Emma Leis swished a right corner shot from just inside the arc.

Gossard buried a three-pointer and Archer splashed a left side trey to make it 46-22 heading to the final period.

Bulldog freshman Miranda Wills sank a running right side banker to open the final stanza. Gossard drained another triple and Wills knocked down a left baseline eight-footer to help cut the lead to 54-30.

Bearcat backup guard Kelsey Shaffer nailed a left wing trifecta, yet Gossard responded with her third trey of the half. Archer drilled an 18-footer from the left side and Conley split a pair at the charity stripe.

Gossard's fourth triple ended the Ada scoring at 63-39 with 1:10 to go. Spencerville ran off the last five points to provide the final margin.

Ada kept it close over the second half with just a 35-29 deficit after intermission.

"It was good to see us play hard in the second half," said Taflinger. "We don't usually get beat to many loose balls like we did in the first half."

Gossard led all scorers with 17 points as she sank her final four three-point attempts. Archer added nine points on the strength of two triples. England pulled down four rebounds and made three steals.

Eleven Bearcats scored, led by Henline with 11 markers, as she netted all her points in an eight-minute span of the first half. Grisgsby contributed nine markers while Satterfield, Koenig and Bowsher tallied eight apiece.

Ada connected on 11 for 45 from the field (24 percent) and sank  five treys. The Bulldogs converted 11 of 21 foul shots (52 percent).

The Bearcats sank 23 two-pointers and four triples for their 27 field goals, and converted 10 of 17 (59 percent) from the charity stripe.

Ada committed 16 turnovers to 13 miscues by the Bearcats.

It was the final home game for Bulldog seniors Gossard, Teara Coulson and Archer. Ada ended up 1-10 at home this winter.

Spencerville also won the two-quarter JV contest, 24-10. Wills led Ada with four points.

Ada 39 (4-14, 0-6 NWC)

Gossard 4 5-6 17, Coulson 0, Archer 3 1-4 9, England 1 0-0 2, Wills 2 0-0 4, Rush 0, Conley 1 5-11 7, Light 0, Waugh 0, Acheson 0.

Totals: 11-45/11-21/39. 3-pointers: M. Gossard 4, Archer 2.

Spencerville 68 (10-7, 5-1 NWC)

G. Goecke 1 0-0 2, Grigsby 4 1-2 9, Shaffer 1 1-2 4, Henline 4 0-0 11, Satterfield 3 2-4 8, Smith 1 0-0 2, O. Goecke 1 2-2 4, Koenig 4 0-0 8, Burden 3 0-0 6, Leis 3 0-0 6, Bowsher 2 4-4 8.

Totals: 27/10-17/68. 3-pointers: Henline 3, Shaffer 1.

1 2 3 4 F

Ada 4 6 12 17 39

Svl 16 17 13 22 68

JV: Spencerville 24, Ada 10.

Ada's makeup home game scheduled for Monday, February 5 vs. Maumee Valley Country Day has been cancelled again, and won't be made up. MVCD called off the contest Thursday.

The Bulldogs (3-3 road) visit NWC foe Lincolnview (8-10, 1-4 NWC) Thursday, February 8. "Lincolnview is pretty solid," Taflinger warned. "They are senior-dominated."