By Cort Reynolds
Visiting Ada led throughout the game yet had to stave off an early fourth quarter Ridgemont rally to defeat their Hardin County rival 60-47 in the Bulldog boys basketball season-opener Friday night, November 25.
Bulldog senior Ethan Murphy tallied a career-high 23 points to lead Ada to their second straight season-opening win over the Gophers.
Ada led 17-11 after the first period and stretched the margin to 32-21 at halftime. Murphy fired in 15 points by intermission.
"Murphy carried us offensively in the first half," said second-year Ada head coach Vince Halliday.
The Bulldogs carried a 41-29 edge into the final period.
The Gophers tallied the first eight points of the fourth quarter to edge within 41-37 with 6:30 still remaining.
But Ada pulled away by outscoring the hosts 19-10 down the stretch to win by 13.
Senior Jayden Bankston sank a key basket that stopped the Gopher run, and then helped close the game out at the foul line.
"It was a solid first outing," said Halliday. "These guys have never held a lead like that for 32 minutes. I am proud of the effort."
Ada outscored Ridgemont 22-8 at the charity stripe.
"We played downhill and got the ball inside," said Halliday of the big Ada edge at the foul line. "Obviously, there were a lot of fouls in the fourth quarter."
Bankston netted 13 points in his Bulldog debut, canning nine free throws. Classmate Grant Preston added nine markers.
Sophomore Colton Bailey topped Ridgemont with 10 points.
Sophomores Xavier Stuck and Connor Manns, and freshman Harrison Reppart each tallied eight markers for the Gophers.
The Bulldogs sank 18 shots overall from the field, including 16 two-pointers and a pair of trifectas.
The Bulldogs earned 21 more foul shot attempts than the Gophers. Ada converted 22 of 35 from the charity stripe (63 percent).
The Gophers canned 17 field goals. Twelve of their baskets came inside the arc, while they also made five three-point goals. Ridgemont sank eight of 14 attempts at the foul line (57 percent).
The Gophers narrowly won a back-and-forth reserve contest, 47-46.
Ada 60 (1-0)
Wall 2 0-0 4, Sutherly 0, Bankston 2 9-14 13, Conley 1 3-4 5, Leal 1 4-5 6, Preston 3 3-6 9, Murphy 9 3-6 23.
Totals: 16-2/22-35/60. 3-pointers: Murphy 2.
Ridgemont 47 (0-1)
Patterson 2 0-0 4, C. Manns 3 2-2 8, K. Manns 2 2-4 7, Bailey 3 2-2 10, Reppart 3 1-3 8, Stuck 3 1-3 8, Brose 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 12-5/8-14/47. 3-pointers: Bailey 2, K. Manns 1, Reppart 1, Stuck 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 17 15 9 19 60
Ridg 11 10 8 18 47
JV: Ridgemont 47, Ada 46.
Ada visits Fort Jennings (0-1) Saturday evening, November 26. The Musketeers lost at home to Arlington Friday night, 61-38.
"Certainly we have lots of work to do, but we are 1-0," said Halliday. "We are back at it Saturday. We have to be better tomorrow than today."
