By Cort Reynolds
ADA__The visiting Delphos Jefferson girls basketball team—still unbeaten in the Northwest Conference–-authored a 17-0 first half run and went on to defeat the Ada High School girls 52-20 on Thursday evening, January 18.
The Bulldogs pulled within 7-2 on an Autumn Andreasen putback with 3:40 left in the first quarter. But Jefferson reeled off the next 17 points to seize command of the rest of the game.
The Bulldogs dropped to 5-10 overall and 0-5 in the NWC with the defeat. Meanwhile, the Wildcat girls improved to 13-1 and 4-0 in NWC play with the convincing win.
Coupled with the 45-40 Allen East win at Crestview Thursday, DJ took over first place in the league as the only remaining undefeated team.
“We played extremely hard and executed what we wanted to do for the most part defensively,” said Ada head coach Zach Ricker. “There was a huge (improved) difference in energy compared to the Allen East game a week ago.”
Wildcat senior guard Lyv Lindeman scored a game-high 19 points to pace the victors.
Ada committed 17 costly first half turnovers against the Wildcat pressure, and was never able to get into an offensive rhythm.
“We made some bad choices trying to squeeze passes into tight spaces against an athletic defense,” said Ricker.
Lindeman sank three two-point goals, and southpaw Brooke Mueller splashed a trey to lead Jefferson to a 15-2 lead after the first period.
Lauren French completed a three-point play inside, and the 6-2 senior added a post-up basket for a 22-2 lead midway through the second stanza.
Lindeman then scooped up a loose ball and drove in for a layup to cap the flurry with the Wildcats ahead by 22.
Junior guard Lexi Poling ended the nearly seven-minute Ada scoring drought by banking in a 10-footer while being knocked to the floor. She injured her shoulder on the play and was replaced by senior Mariah King, who hit the foul shot to convert the rare three-point play.
Lindeman sank a stickback, followed by a spinning bank shot by Ada sophomore post Anna Conley. Mueller swished a right corner trey, and Conley responded by nailing a 12-footer at the two-minute mark.
Lindeman drained a right corner triple a minute later for a 32-9 bulge. Three foul shots stretched the DJ lead to 35-9 at halftime.
Ada senior guard Olivia Burkhart bounced in a short jumper, followed by a Conley layin that inched Ada within 37-13 early in the third quarter.
Mueller drilled another corner trifecta, and Madison Burris nailed a left wing triple for a 43-13 Jefferson lead. Poling sank a layup, but Lindeman connected on a pull-up shot.
A Conley field goal closed the Ada scoring, followed by two foul shots from DJ freshman Claire Brinkman with 0.1 remaining.
Conley led Ada with eight points and two blocked shots. Burkhart tallied five markers. Defensive ace King added a blocked shot.
“I thought Autumn did a really good job defensively vs. Lindeman,” Ricker noted.
Mueller tallied 11 points for Jefferson, while French added nine markers. Burris scored six on two treys.
The Ada girls connected on eight two-point goals and one three-pointer.
The Bulldogs converted their lone free throw (100 percent).
DJ canned 11 two-point field goals and splashed six shots from beyond the arc. The Wildcats converted 12 of 15 charity stripe tries (80 percent).
Delphos Jeff won the two-quarter reserve game, 27-5. Jaylin St. Laurent led Ada with five markers.
Ada hosts Hardin County foe Ridgemont (1-11) Monday, January 22.
Ada 20 (5-10, 0-5 NWC)
Burkhart 2 0-0 5, King 0 1-1 1, L. Poling 2 0-0 4, K. Poling 0 0-0 0, A. Andreasen 1 0-0 2, Sizemore 0 0-0 0, Conley 4 0-0 8, B. Andreasen 0 0-0 0, Hevlin 0 0-0 0, St. Laurent 0 0-0 0.
Totals: 8-1/1-1/20. 3-pointers: Burkhart 1.
DJ 52 (13-1, 4-0 NWC)
Kimmet 1 2-2 4, Burris 2 0-0 6, Lindeman 7 4-6 19, Brinkman 0 3-4 3, Mueller 4 0-0 11, French 3 3-4 9.
Totals: 11-6/12-15/52. 3-pointers: Mueller 3, Lindeman 1, Burris 2.
SCOREBOARD
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| ADA | 2 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 20 |
| DJ | 15 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 52 |
