By M. E. Leo (for GDaddy)
ROFF -- Ada's Willard White (13-3) Cougars beat Stonewall's McLish Middle School 39-17 in the Roff Basketball Festival on Saturday.
McLish and the Cougars came in having split their last two face-offs. In the first battle in October, McLish demolished Ada White by double digits, and as a result, Ada White went to the consolation bracket of the Stonewall Tournament. In the second battle, in November, Ada White barely pulled off the upset in the McLish gym.
On Saturday, Ada White was the underdog in their third match-up of the season.
A minute and ten seconds into the eight-minute first quarter, Ada White guard Emilio Benton grabbed a board, ran full-speed down the court, and drained a pull-up jumper for the first score in the game.
With a minute and a half left in the first quarter, with the score 2-2, Ada White center Hunter Price threw a half-court pass to Benton, who dribbled to the free throw line and then passed to Ada White guard Sean Ivan, who made a layup.
In the next two minutes, Ada White went on a 6-2 run. Then, seventeen seconds into the second quarter, with the score 10-4 in Ada's favor, McLish inbounded the ball and could not get past Ada White's full-court press defense. As McLish's point guard tried to pass the ball, Benton tipped it to his teammate Caden Mitchell. Mitchell then passed the ball right back to Benton, who made a layup to extend the Ada White lead to 8.
A minute later, Benton stole the ball, dribbled down to the three-point line and got his second assist on a pass to center Logan Hulbutta, who made a layup, giving Ada White a double-digit lead.
With five minutes left in the second quarter, the McLish point guard faked a pass to the left, then passed it to the right, where Mitchell was patiently waiting to get the steal. He then dribbled down the court and passed it to a streaking Benton, who scored his third basket.
When the lead reached 20-4 with 4:20 left in the second quarter, Benton snatched the ball out of the hands of the McLish point guard, and Ada White coach Megan Groves told him to wait until his teammates set up the offense and run a play instead of running the fast break. Benton then got his third assist by passing to an open Mitchell in the corner, who swished a mid-range shot.
At the half-time break, Ada White had stretched their lead to 28-4.
On an early possession in the third quarter, Benton missed an open three, grabbed his own rebound, and missed another open three. Mitchell collected the board, put up a quick shot in the paint, and Benton chased down his second offensive rebound of the possession. Several passes later, Mitchell chucked up another shot, and Benton grabbed his third offensive rebound of the possession. He would finish the day with eleven rebounds.
In the third quarter, both teams played well and added six points to their totals.
With three seconds left to play in the game, Benton raced down the court and handed off the ball to Ada White guard Hunter McDonald, who launched a three to beat the buzzer and give Benton his 5th assist of the day.
In addition to his 11 rebounds and 5 assists, Benton scored 6 points, had 7 steals, 1 block, 1 foul and 3 turnovers.
Ada White plays its next game at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 24th against Tupelo, the team they lost to by 4 points in the consolation championship of the Stonewall Tournament. They then play Stratford at 4 pm on Thursday, January 25th, before ending the season with the Ada Tournament, January 29th - February 3rd.
ROFF -- Ada's Willard White (13-3) Cougars beat Stonewall's McLish Middle School 39-17 in the Roff Basketball Festival on Saturday.
McLish and the Cougars came in having split their last two face-offs. In the first battle in October, McLish demolished Ada White by double digits, and as a result, Ada White went to the consolation bracket of the Stonewall Tournament. In the second battle, in November, Ada White barely pulled off the upset in the McLish gym.
On Saturday, Ada White was the underdog in their third match-up of the season.
A minute and ten seconds into the eight-minute first quarter, Ada White guard Emilio Benton grabbed a board, ran full-speed down the court, and drained a pull-up jumper for the first score in the game.
With a minute and a half left in the first quarter, with the score 2-2, Ada White center Hunter Price threw a half-court pass to Benton, who dribbled to the free throw line and then passed to Ada White guard Sean Ivan, who made a layup.
In the next two minutes, Ada White went on a 6-2 run. Then, seventeen seconds into the second quarter, with the score 10-4 in Ada's favor, McLish inbounded the ball and could not get past Ada White's full-court press defense. As McLish's point guard tried to pass the ball, Benton tipped it to his teammate Caden Mitchell. Mitchell then passed the ball right back to Benton, who made a layup to extend the Ada White lead to 8.
A minute later, Benton stole the ball, dribbled down to the three-point line and got his second assist on a pass to center Logan Hulbutta, who made a layup, giving Ada White a double-digit lead.
With five minutes left in the second quarter, the McLish point guard faked a pass to the left, then passed it to the right, where Mitchell was patiently waiting to get the steal. He then dribbled down the court and passed it to a streaking Benton, who scored his third basket.
When the lead reached 20-4 with 4:20 left in the second quarter, Benton snatched the ball out of the hands of the McLish point guard, and Ada White coach Megan Groves told him to wait until his teammates set up the offense and run a play instead of running the fast break. Benton then got his third assist by passing to an open Mitchell in the corner, who swished a mid-range shot.
At the half-time break, Ada White had stretched their lead to 28-4.
On an early possession in the third quarter, Benton missed an open three, grabbed his own rebound, and missed another open three. Mitchell collected the board, put up a quick shot in the paint, and Benton chased down his second offensive rebound of the possession. Several passes later, Mitchell chucked up another shot, and Benton grabbed his third offensive rebound of the possession. He would finish the day with eleven rebounds.
In the third quarter, both teams played well and added six points to their totals.
With three seconds left to play in the game, Benton raced down the court and handed off the ball to Ada White guard Hunter McDonald, who launched a three to beat the buzzer and give Benton his 5th assist of the day.
In addition to his 11 rebounds and 5 assists, Benton scored 6 points, had 7 steals, 1 block, 1 foul and 3 turnovers.
Ada White plays its next game at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 24th against Tupelo, the team they lost to by 4 points in the consolation championship of the Stonewall Tournament. They then play Stratford at 4 pm on Thursday, January 25th, before ending the season with the Ada Tournament, January 29th - February 3rd.
Emilio hits his first shot to score the first points of the game (3:18 pm)
Emilio swats a McLish pass (3:19 PM)
Emilio blocks a shot and passes to an open man in the corner (3:21)
An Emi dish (3:23)
Full-court press defense produces a steal and a layup (3:27)
An Emi swipe and dish 3:28
Emi scores on a fast break layup (3:29)
Emi steals, slows it down, and serves up another dish (3:30)
Emilio covers court to nab 3 offensive rebounds on one possession (3:51)
Emi says this one was all ball (3:56)
Last second, buzzer-beater dish (3:57)
Ada Cougars (White) Record: 2017-2018
Ada Tournament (January 39-Feb 3)
vs. Stratford, January 25 (Thu. at 4 p.m.)
vs. Tupelo, January 24 (Wed.at 9:30 a.m.)
W vs. McLish at Roff Festival, January 13 (Sat. at 2:30 p.m.) (13-3)*
W vs. Homer, January 10 (Wed. at 9:30 a.m.) (12-3)*
W @ Byng, December 4 (Mon. at 5:00 p.m.) (11-3)*
W vs Roff, November 30 (Thu. at 5:00 p.m.) (10-3)
W @ McLish (Stonewall), November 15 (Wed. at 9:30 a.m.) (9-3)
W @ Stratford, November 13 (Mon. at 4 :00 p.m.) (8-3)*
L vs. Justice at Byng Festival, November 11 (Sat .at 2 pm.) (7-3)*
W vs. Byng, November 6 (Mon. at 5:00 p.m.) (7-2)*
W @ Konawa, November 2 (Thu. at 4:30 p.m.) (6-2)*
L vs. Tupelo at Stonewall Tournament, October 28 (Sat) (5-2)
W vs. Roff at Stonewall Tournament, October 26 (Thu) (5-1)
W @ Allen, October 25 (Wed at 9:30 a.m.) (4-1)
L vs. McLish at Stonewall Tournament, October 24 (Tue at 6:00 p.m.) (3-1)*
W @ Latta, October 17 (Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.) (3-0)*
W vs. Roff at Tupelo Festival, October 16 (Monday) (2-0)*
W vs. Roff at Ada Festival, October 2 (Monday) (1-0)*
*Attended by sb
