By Cort Reynolds
McGUFFEY – The Ada High School girls basketball team tipped off its season on November 22 at traditional rival Upper Scioto Valley with a 39-31 loss in Alumni Fieldhouse.
A 12-1 Ram run bridging the end of the third period and early fourth quarter broke open a tie game and spelled the difference.
The non-league defeat dropped the Bulldog record to 0-1 to start the season. It also halted a seven-game Ada win streak over the Rams dating back to the semifinals of the 2018 Border Battle tournament.
USV starts off 1-0 after the hard-fought win. The win avenged a pair of losses to Ada last season.
“The girls played hard and gave everything they had,” said Ada third-year head coach Zach Ricker.
The game featured several ties and constant lead changes for the first 21 minutes.
Ram junior Ivie Gonzalez sank a trifecta to open the scoring on the season.
Anna Conley got Ada on the scoreboard with a hook shot. Ram guard Shalyn Lawrence sank a shot from the elbow.
Conley scored again inside to pull Ada within 5-4. Conley scored on a spin move inside to put the Bulldogs on top, 6-5. A driving scoop layup by Ram Layla Hunsicker put the hosts back on top 7-6 with 90 seconds left in the opening period.
A triple by Ram senior guard Shalyn Lawrence, followed by a basket from Ada freshman Emily Gibson made it 10-8 after the first quarter.
Conley tied it on a basket to open the second stanza. Two foul shots by freshman Mariah Burns put the Bulldogs in front, 12-10.
A short shot by Lawrence tied it, but two more Burns free tosses put Ada back in front. A Hunsicker driving shot knotted it again at 14-all. Gonzalez scored off a turnover to give Upper a 16-14 edge.
An offensive rebound putback by sophomore Raegan Castle capped a 6-0 Ram run. Gibson drove full-court for a layup to stop the Ada drought.
Conley was fouled with six seconds left in the half, but missed both free throws to keep the Rams ahead 19-16 at intermission.
A Kenley Poling foul shot cut the Ram lead to 21-17 early in the third period. USV split two free tosses, followed by a basket by Conley steal and basket.
A Bulldog basket cut the deficit to 22-21. Ashley Hevlin split two charity stripers to tie it again with three minutes left in the third quarter. Ram freshman Kamyn Titus canned two foul shots to regain the lead for good 24-22 at the 2:11 mark.
A scoop shot by Lawrence stretched the Ram lead to four. Conley split two foul shots to make it 26-23.
Hunsicker banked in a side triple, and Lawrence hit a foul shot to extend the Ram lead to 30-23 after three periods. USV ended the quarter on a tiebreaking 8-1 run.
Gonzalez sank a free throw early in the final stanza. Lawrence split two and then scored on a steal and layup to give USV its biggest lead at 34-23 midway through the fourth period.
Conley scored two straight inside baskets off an in-bounds lob and a spinning finish to cut the Ada deficit to 34-27. But Gonzalez answered with a layup off a nice Audrey Lawrence bounce pass.
Hevlin sank a basket to pull within 36-29 with 2:22 remaining to play. Lawrence split a pair of foul shots but USV missed two with 1:15 left and Gibson scored inside.
Two Ram foul shots made it 39-31 with 33 ticks remaining. Ada turned the ball over and USV ran out the clock.
Conley and Lawrence tied for game-high scoring honors with 15 points each. Hunsicker and Gonzalez netted eight markers apiece for the Rams. Lawrence and Gonzalez contributed well in their comebacks after a one-year hiatus.
Gibson tallied six markers and Burns added four in their varsity debuts.
Ada canned 12 two-point goals and canned seven of 10 foul shots. They did not make a triple.
USV made 10 deuces and hit three triples.
The Rams converted 10 of 18 free throw tries (56 percent).
Ada 31 (0-1)
K. Poling 1 1-2 3, L. Poling 0 0-0 0, Gibson 3 0-0 6, Burns 0 4-4 4, Conley 7 1-4 15, Hevlin 1 1-2 3. Totals: 12-0/7-12/31. 3-pointers (0-4).
USV 39 (1-0)
Hunsicker 3 1-2 8, S. Lawrence 5 4-6 15, Gonzalez 3 1-2 8, Castle 1 1-2 3, Cunningham 1 1-4 3, Titus 0 2-2 2.
Totals: 10-3/10-18/39. 3-pointers (3-15): Lawrence 1, Gonzalez 1, Hunsicker 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 8 8 7 8 31
USV 10 9 11 9 39
No JV game.
Ada plays at league foe Leipsic Tuesday, November 26 in their first Blanchard Valley Conference contest. The Vikings returned to the BVC along with Ada after a short stint in the Northwest Conference.
