By Cort Reynolds
DOLA–Ada High School boys basketball team decisively defeated county rival Hardin Northern 67-49 in a non-conference battle Saturday night, January 14.
Senior Carter Conley scored a career-high 27 points on the strength of six three-pointers to pace the Bulldogs. Classmate Spencer Wall netted a season-high 17 points.
Ada improved to 6-7 overall and snapped a four-game losing skid with the much-needed victory. Meanwhile, HN dropped to 4-9 with the loss.
"We had a slow start, but got the first quarter lead and never let up," said second-year Ada head coach Vince Halliday.
Ada led 15-9 after one period and 29-21 at halftime as Conley poured in 17 points. A 19-10 Bulldog third quarter extended the lead to 17 points.
"We got stops and scores, and took it one possession at a time," Halliday said of the successful third period.
Wall scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half as Ada outscored HN 38-28.
"It was a night where we had the better athletes," said Halliday.
Ada senior Ethan Murphy contributed seven points, and senior guard Jaden Leal added five markers.
Senior Zeb Wilson led the Polar Bears with 20 points. Sean Kuhlman added 10 markers for HN.
Ada canned 25 field shots, hitting 16 two-pointers and nine shots beyond the arc. Northern sank 19 baskets, including 17 deuces and a pair of treys.
The Bulldogs converted eight of 12 shots from the free throw line (67 percent). HN hit on just 10 of 23 charity stripers (43 percent).
Ada won the JV contest, 45-16. The Bulldogs completed a three-game sweep by winning the freshman opener, 41-18.
Ada 67 (6-7)
Bankston 1 0-0 2, Wall 7 3-3 17, Sutherly 0 0-0 0, Conley 9 3-4 27, Leal 2 0-1 5, Murphy 3 0-0 7, Preston 1 2-4 4, Erickson 1 0-0 2, Jones 1 0-0 3, Hoffer 0 0-0 0.
Totals: 16-9/8-12/67. 3-pointers: Conley 6, Murphy 1, Leal 1, Jones 1.
HN 49 (4-9)
Hopson 2 0-2 4, Wetherill 3 3-5 8, Z. Wilson 8 2-2 20, X. Wilson 0 1-4 1, Thomas 2 0-4 4, Curtis 1 0-1 2, Kuhlman 3 4-5 10.
Totals: 17-2/10-23/49. 3-pointers: Z. Wilson 2.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 15 14 19 19 67
JV: Ada 45, HN 16.
The Bulldogs are idle until they play a makeup game at non-league foe New Knoxville (1-11) Tuesday, January 24.
