The Bluffton High School girls basketball team rallied from an 11-point fourth period deficit to edge visiting non-league foe Elida 49-47 Tuesday night, January 11. (View at https://youtu.be/ZdSpvJAE6bM)

Bluffton trailed 43-32 heading to the final quarter, but the Pirate girls outscored the Lady Bulldogs 17-4 in the fourth quarter. Their defense limited Elida to just four foul shots and zero baskets in the last stanza.

Bluffton trailed 28-23 at halftime, and fell behind by 11 after a 15-9 Elida third quarter. But Riley Eachus fired in nine clutch fourth quarter points on a trey and three two-point goals to lead the Pirate comeback effort. 

Senior guard Sami Scoles led the victors with 15 points. The southpaw nailed a triple and scored five points in the fourth quarter rally. 

Eachus netted 14 points. Bluffton freshman post Ayla Grandey added eight markers.

Senior center Elli Mitchell led Elida with 14 points. Addisyn Freeman added 11 markers.

The Lady Pirates improved to 11-3 with their seventh consecutive win. Elida dropped to 4-9 with the difficult defeat.

The Pirate girls drained 17 field goals, including 12 two-pointers and five triples. They converted 10 of 14 free throw attempts (71 percent).

The Lady Bulldogs sank 18 field goals, hitting 16 two-pointers and two trifectas. Elida converted nine of 13 free throw tries (69 percent).

Elida 47 (4-9)

Johnson 2 0-0 4, Lopez 4 0-0 8, Freeman 4 3-5 11, Knight 1 0-0 2, Kuhn 3 0-0 8, Mitchell 5 4-6 14.

Totals: 16-2/9-13/47. 3-pointers: Kuhn 2

Bluffton 49 (11-3)

Busch 1 3-5 5, Eachus 6 0-0 14, Giesige 0 4-5 4, Scoles 6 0-0 15, Monday 0 3-4 3, Grandey 4 0-0 8.

Totals: 12-5/10-14/49. 3-pointers: Scoles 3, Eachus 2. 

1 2 3 4 F

Eli 10 18 15 4 47

Bluf 12 11 9 17 49

Bluffton (2-1 NWC) resumes Northwest Conference play at first-year league member Leipsic (8-4, 1-3 NWC) Thursday, Jan. 13.