By Cort Reynolds
Playing at home, the Bluffton High School girls basketball team lost to local rival Allen East 47-35 in the Northwest Conference regular season finale Thursday evening, February 9.
Bluffton finished its regular season 13-9 overall and ended up 1-7 in the NWC with the loss, good for eighth place in the league.
AE improved to 15-6 and finished 4-4 in the NWC following the win. The Mustangs finished tied for fourth in the league with Spencerville and Columbus Grove.
The Pirates trailed just 10-9 after the opening stanza.
Mustang guard Rilynn Jones fired in eight second-period points, and Elle Richardson added five as AE authored a 14-5 quarter to build a 24-14 halftime advantage.
A 14-8 third quarter by the Mustangs extended the margin to 38-22. The Pirates won the final stanza 13-9 as Kendal Giesige hit four out of four foul shots.
Senior guard Riley Eachus led Bluffton with nine points on three treys. Pirate sophomore post Ayla Grandey canned four baskets for eight points. Senior Julia Mehaffie added six points.
Pirate point guard Sami Scoles scored six points.
AE sophomore Jones led all players with 15 points. Senior Richardson tallied 14 points, and junior Savana Brooks added 11 markers.
The Pirates canned 12 shots from the field, hitting nine deuces and three shots from three-point land. Bluffton converted eight of 10 free throw attempts (80 percent).
AE sank 15 field goal tries, making 12 two-pointers and hitting three triples. The Mustangs converted 14 of 15 foul shots (93 percent).
It was the last home game for Pirate seniors Scoles, Eachus, Giesige, Mehaffie and Alaina Grothause.
The victory avenged a three-point Mustang loss at Bluffton November 19 in the holiday tourney championship game.
Bluffton 35 (13-9, 1-7 NWC)
Mehaffie 3 0-0 6, Fleece 0 0-0 0, Eachus 3 0-0 9, Schweingruber 0, Giesige 0 4-4 4, Scoles 1 4-6 6, Grothause 0 0-0 0, Grandey 4 0-0 8, Utendorf 0 0-0 0. Schaadt 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 9-3/8-10/35. 3-pointers: Eachus 3.
AE 47 (15-6, 4-4 NWC)
Jordan 0, Patterson 0 0-0 0, Truex 2 1-1 5, Brooks 2 6-6 11, Jones 5 5-6 15, E. Miller 0 0-0 0, D. Miller 0 0-0 0, E. Richardson 5 3-3 14, B. Richardson 1 0-0 2, Nickles 0 0-0 0.
Totals: 12-3/14-15/47. 3-pointers: Truex 1, Brooks 1, E. Richardson 1.
1 2 3 4 F
AE 10 14 14 9 47
Bluf 9 5 8 13 35
Sixth-seeded Bluffton plays eighth seed Defiance Tinora (12-10) in the Div. III sectionals at Defiance Ayersville High School Wednesday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m.
The winner advances to the sectional final Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. fourth seed Sherwood Fairview (18-4).
Allen East plays Shawnee (8-13) Saturday afternoon in its regular season finale. Kennedy Truex and Elle Richardson will be recognized on Senior Day.
