Lancers win regular season finale 49-41

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

ADA — The regular season ended on a positive note for Lincolnview as the Lancers earned a 49-41 win at Ada on Friday.

Lincolnview finished the regular season 5-17 (3-5 NWC), while Ada fell to 4-18 (0-8 NWC).

“I felt that we played hard tonight,” Lincolnview head coach Brett Hammons said. “We did a good job on both ends of the floor.”

Garrett Richardson scored seven points in the opening quarter but Ada’s Grant Preston scored eight points of his 11 points, including a pair of triples and the Bulldogs carried a 14-13 lead into the second quarter. The Lancers connected on just four baskets in the second period but three were treys, which allowed Lincolnview to take a 24-22 lead into halftime. Ada countered with six points by Cayden Murphy, who went on to finish with 13.

Lincolnview was able to gain a bit of separation in the third quarter as Daegan Hatfield and Ethan Crow each scored four, while Avery Slusher and Carson Fox each drilled a triple to put the Lancers ahead 38-31 at the end of the quarter.

The final stanza saw Slusher add four more points while Richardson converted three of four foul shots to help secure the win. Richardson finished with 13 points and Crow added 10, while Fox finished with eight points.

“I felt we were very balanced on the offensive end of the floor and guys stepped up,” Hammons said. “I felt our defense did a good job of making shots difficult for them.”

As a team, the Lancers finished 18-of-49 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the foul line with 31 rebounds, including eight each by Crow and Hatfield. Ada was 15-of-46 shooting and just 8-of-20 from the free throw line with 27 rebounds.

Lincolnview will face Delphos St. John’s in the Division IV sectional semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bluffton University. The two teams met January 29, and the Blue Jays posted a 69-42 win.

The winner of the rematch will move on to face No. 2 seed Columbus Grove in the sectional finals next Friday.

Box score

Lancers 13 11 14 11 – 49
Bulldogs 14 8 9 10 – 41

Ada: Cayden Murphy 4-5-13; Carter Conley 3-0-6; Jaden Leal 1-0-2; Spencer Wall 1-2-4; Grant Preston 4-1-11; Ethan Murphy 2-0-5

Lincolnview: Avery Slusher 2-2-7; Garrett Richardson 4-3-13; Cal Evans 2-0-5; Carson Fox 2-2-8; Daegan Hatfield 3-0-6; Ethan Crow 5-0-10