“Ballard Bombers” became a derogatory term at ADM high school after the Bombers completed the season sweep of the ADM girls and boys basketball teams Friday night in Adel.
The No. 4 ranked Ballard girls nearly topped their 34-point win over ADM in Huxley back in December with a 67-38 victory on the road. ADM (7-10, 4-6 RRC) saw its season-high three-game winning streak snapped in a game that Ballard controlled by the second quarter.
The Tigers came out strong in the first quarter, trading buckets until Ballard pulled away with a run that gave the Bombers an eight-point lead entering the second. The Tigers then fell behind by 16 at half.
ADM made it a nine-point game at one point during the third quarter, but never got closer than that, as Ballard (16-1, 9-1 RRC) regained control with a 7-0 run and cruised the 29-point win from there.
Four lady bombers finished in double figures, lead by Gabbie Doud’s 15. The Tigers were lead by junior Brianna Mueller’s game-high 17 pts.
The boys game was a much different story, as ADM took a two-point lead into the locker at halftime but fell apart in the second half of the 63-53 loss.
The Tigers allowed 24 points in the third quarter, sparked by an individual 12-0 run by Bombers junior Kolby Jensen, who scored all 18 of his points in the second half. Jensen hit three-straight 3’s from the corner and added a 3-point play for the 12-0 spurt, which helped the Bombers build a double digit lead that ADM whittled down to nine by the end of the third.
ADM (3-13, 3-7 RRC)shored up their defense in the fourth quarter, but then the offense went cold. The Tigers managed just two points through the first six minutes of the final period before exploding for 12 points in over the final. But by that time, it was already too late. Ballard had gotten into the double bonus early in the fourth quarter and made its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Jaden Moody scored a game-high 19 for the Bombers (8-8, 5-5 RRC), and senior Jake Herrin added 12. Sophomore Matt Larson lead ADM with 11 points, while junior Jacob Hardy added 10.
Both ADM basketball teams continue the conference season Tuesday at Perry.