By Cort Reynolds
ADA – The Ada High School boys basketball team used a 26-point third period outburst to defeat local non-league opponent Cory-Rawson 57-38 on the afternoon of December 21, and post their fourth consecutive victory.
Playing their third game in five days, Ada led the winless but feisty Hornets just 20-19 at intermission following a sluggish first half.
But the Bulldogs outscored the upset-minded Hornets 26-10 in the third period to build a comfortable 46-29 cushion. Ada also captured the fourth quarter 11-9 to win going away by 19.
The Bulldogs improved to 6-2 overall with the home win. C-R fell to 0-7 after the defeat.
“We played well in the third quarter,” said veteran Ada head coach Chris Sautter. “We weren’t focused to start the game. Give the kids credit, they pushed the lead to double digits pretty quickly in the third.
“It was nice to have a home game,” he added.
Ada played six of its first seven games on the road.
Kolton Dysert canned a breakaway layup to open the scoring. Fellow sophomore guard Carson Conley splashed a right side triple to give Ada an early 5-0 lead, and they never trailed.
C-R senior Preston Stumpp nailed a right wing triple and scored six quick points to keep the Hornets close. Junior teammate Carson Reese made a floater for a conventional three-point play.
Junior Zack Zimmerman hit a left baseline driving runner for Ada. Junior Gavin Oldfield canned two foul shots and a six-foot pull-up shot.
Zimmerman then drained a right wing transition trifecta to give the hosts a 14-9 lead after the first period.
The Bulldogs extended the margin to 18-9 after Dysert sank a trademark floater. Another Oldfield basket made it 20-11. Spunky C-R then ran off the last eight points of the half to pull within a point.
Stumpp started the 8-0 spurt with a driving layup, and capped it by rolling in a fast break runner 30 seconds before halftime.
Ahead just 20-19, the Bulldogs would author a huge quarter after intermission.
Ada came out of the locker room hot as Zimmerman sank a running banker, followed by a Hickman transition bank shot in the first 49 seconds. Stumpp knocked down a runner, but Zimmerman answered by canning a lane floater at the six-minute mark.
Conley powered in a driving layup to extend the lead to 28-21. Dysert completed a driving three-point play to provide a 10-point lead with 4:55 left in the third period.
Cory ended the 11-2 flurry by hitting a layup putback. Zimmerman then buried consecutive right corner triples to stretch the margin to 37-23 at the 3:57 mark.
Two baskets by Austin Inbody were followed by six Zimmerman foul shots. Ada held for the last shot, and then Kayleb Hickman drove to can a one-handed lane floater with two seconds left in the period.
When the smoke cleared, Ada led 46-29. The Bulldogs won the quarter 26-10 as Zimmerman poured in 16 points.
The Hornets scored the first five points of the final stanza, but Conley stopped the run by hitting a driving basket. Reese drilled a triple to pull within 11, yet Ethan Lawrence bounced in a layup.
Zimmerman hit a pull-up banker and two more free throws to put the game well out of reach and give him 20 second-half markers.
“We already have more wins than they had all last year, but we are not close to satisfied,” said Sautter.
Zimmerman led all scorers with 25 points. Conley netted 10 markers, and Dysert added eight.
Ada connected on 14 two-pointers and nailed four triples. The Bulldogs converted 17 of 28 free throws (61 percent).
C-R canned 11 two-pointers and drained three trifectas. The Hornets sank seven of 11 foul shots (64 percent).
|
ADA CORY-RAWSON |
1 14 9 |
2 6 10 |
3 26 10 |
4 11 9 |
FINAL 57 38 |
JV: Ada 61, C-R 3
Ada improved to 1-1 at home with the win in just their second home game. The Bulldogs visit winless Perry (0-6) Friday, December 27.
They then travel to Marion Elgin (1-4) Saturday, Dec. 28 for the nightcap of a girls/boys doubleheader.
Ada rolled to a 61-3 JV rout win. Max Baumgartner and Connor McKean led the victors with 12 points apiece. T.J. Griffith scored eight, and Blake Zoladz added seven.
Ada 57 (6-2)
Oldfield 2 2-2 6, Dysert 3 2-2 8, Zimmerman 7 8-11 25, Green 0 1-2 1, Conley 3 3-6 10, Hickman 2 1-2 5, Gossman 0 0-0 0, Lawrence 1 0-2 2, Erickson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-4/17-28/57. 3-pointers: Zimmerman 3, Conley 1.
C-R 38 (0-7)
Stumpp 7 1-2 17, L. Inbody 3 2-2 8, Reese 2 2-3 7, Sons 0 1-2 1, A. Inbody 1 0-0 3, Montgomery 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 11-3/7-11/38. 3-pointers: Stumpp 1, Reese 1, A. Inbody 1.
