By RYAN WALKER
PONETO — Fresh off of winning the Allen County Athletic Conference’s 100th annual tournament, the Adams Central Jets defeated the Southern Wells Raiders 80-38.
The Jets (7-4) just three days prior had taken out Woodlan, the same team that knocked out the Raiders (3-7) in the tournament semifinal. That was reflected on the scoreboard Tuesday night.
“They’re really good,” Southern Wells head coach Joel Roush said after the game. “They have come along, and they’re playing their best basketball right now, as far as this year is concerned.”
After a quick 7-0 start, Roush used a timeout to try and adjust to the Jets’ high-flying style of play. A few minutes later, Roush used yet another timeout and looked up at a 17-5 deficit.
Adams Central pounded the ball down in the paint to big man Ethan Poling, who stands three inches taller than any Raider and is a sizeable 270 pounds. He scored 11 points in the first quarter alone (he had a game-high 24).
Southern Wells got some juice with a three from Jenson Nusbaumer, who has had his fair share of struggles shooting the rock this season. However, he picked up two early fouls shortly after his spark and needed to sit on the bench for a while. The foul affected the flow of trying to adjust to the speed of the Jets.
“We don’t want them in foul trouble,” Roush said. “Jenson’s probably did hurt us a little bit because we got him going. He’d been really struggling to shoot the ball, and he had a little bit of success tonight, and it was nice to see that. It was just a shame that he had to come out of the game when he did.”
Despite taking a while to slow down the 30-point first-quarter scoring attack, the Raiders were able to settle in the second period allowing for just 13 points.
Coach Roush just kept it simple.
“I would say, after the first four minutes, we were pretty decent,” he said.
The second half resembled the first five minutes of the game. Adams Central outscored Southern Wells 37-21, even with a running clock in the fourth quarter.
The score might not indicate the 13 turnovers that the Radiers created and scored upon throughout the game. Perhaps Evan Pennington’s team-high nine points and Kedrik Sonnigsen’s six were the biggest beneficiaries on transition.
Nusbaumer hit another three, this time in the third quarter, to add to his eight-point night.
Southern Wells will have a quick turnaround as they travel to Daleville at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18.
Adams Central junior varsity won 38-37. C.J. Reber scored a team-high 11 points for the Raider, Tucker Worster added nine, and Bryar Gearheart with eight.
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ADAMS CENTRAL 80, SOUTHERN WELLS 38
At Southern Wells High School
ADAMS CENTRAL 7-4 (3-1 ACAC): Micah McClure 1-5 0-0 2, Ryan Tester 4-6 0-0 10, Braylend Reber 6-8 4-4 16, Isaac Shultz 4-11 4-5 12, Ethan Poling 11-15 0-0 24, Trace Maller 1-6 2-2 4, Hudson Conkling 4-4 0-0 11, Max Hamilton 0-3 0-0 0, Keaton Springer 0-1 0-0 0, Cade Van De Weg 0-1 0-0 0, Kolton Littler 1-2 0-0 2. TOTALS: 29-62 10-11 80
SOUTHERN WELLS 3-7 (1-3 ACAC): Evan Pennington 4-6 0-0 9, Kedrik Sonnigsen 2-5 2-2 6, Jenson Nusbaumer 3-6 0-0 8, Chandler Oswalt 2-10 0-0 4, Gage Roberts 1-2 0-0 2, Andrew Aker 1-4 0-1 2, Quinton Mullins 1-3 0-0 2, Perrin Gates 1-2 1-3 3, Nick Lozoya 0-2 0-0 0, CJ Reber 0-0 0-2 0, Tucker Worster 0-0 0-0 0, Bryar Gearheart 1-1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 15-40 3-8 38.
Adams Central 30 13 22 15 — 80
Southern Wells 9 11 13 8 — 38
Three-point FG: Adams Central 6-10 (Conkling 3-3, Poling 1-2, Tester 2-4, Shultz 0-1), Southern Wells 3-16 (Nusbaumer 2-3, Pennington 1-1, Sonnigsen 0-2, Oswalt 0-6, Aker 0-1, Mullins 0-1, Lozoya 0-2). Rebounds: Adams Central 32 (Poling 10, Tester 4, Reber 4, Maller 2, Can De Weg 2, McClure Hamilton 1, Conkling 1), Southern Wells 11 (Sonnigsen 3, Nusbaumer 3, Oswalt 2, Roberts 1, Worster 1, Gearheart 1). Turnovers: Adams Central 13, Southern Wells 18. Fouls: Adams Central 6, Southern Wells 10. Fouled Out: None. Technicals: None.
