By Cort Reynolds

DEFIANCE–The Bluffton High School girls basketball team led by 12 at halftime but went cold after intermission and lost 42-35 to Defiance Tinora in Div. III sectional semifinal action Wednesday evening, February 15 at Ayersville High School in Defiance.

The Pirate girls led 21-9 at halftime yet got outscored 33-14 in the second half as the Rams rallied for the victory. A game-changing 19-7 Tinora third period tied it up 28-28 heading to the final stanza.

The Rams then closed the game on a 10-1 run to break up a very close game and win by a deceptive total of seven points. Tinora won the fourth period, 14-7. Overall, they outscored Bluffton 13 to four at the foul line.

Bluffton finished its season 13-10 after the tough loss eliminated them from the tournament. 

Tinora improved to an identical record of 13-10 with the comeback win. The Rams advance to the sectional final Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. fourth seed Sherwood Fairview (18-4) at Ayersville.

Pirate senior guard Riley Eachus poured in a season-high 21 points by draining five triples. She also pulled down five defensive rebounds and came up with two swipes.

Eachus buried three triples in the first period to shoot the Pirates to an 11-7 lead after the opening stanza. Her first two treys were swishers from the left wing that gave the Pirates an early 8-1 cushion.

Eachus drained two more trifectas and a two-pointer in the second stanza. The Pirate defense held Tinora to just one basket and two points in period two as they built a 12-point advantage.

Eachus tallied 17 of the 21 first-half points by Bluffton as she went on a career-best outburst.  

Ram Liz Mueller hit two of her team’s four triples in the third quarter to pace the Tinora rally. Nova Okuley and Karli Okuley each added a trey in the turnaround stanza that saw the Rams erase a 12-point deficit.

Mueller netted eight points in the key third period.

Tinora took a 30-28 lead early in the fourth period before Pirate Sami Scoles made a fast break layup. Two foul shots gave the Rams the lead back. Scoles tied it again 32-all as she sliced through the lane for a layup with 4:49 remaining.

Eachus nailed a tough lane runner to give the Pirates their last lead at 34-32. Ram Dakota Sines knotted it back up with a post-up basket. Tinora then recaptured the lead for good on a driving layin by Addison Lee.

Scoles fired an open look from the right wing that could have given the Pirates the lead, but it glanced off the rim. Pirate post Ayla Grandey grabbed the offensive rebound, yet her putback try barely rolled off the iron.

Two Ram free tosses extended their lead to four. Lee then picked off a pass, sped upcourt and sank a nice left-handed layup to provide a 40-34 margin with 2:31 left to play.

Scoles hit the second of two foul shots to inch Bluffton within five. The Rams then ran off about 40 seconds before Lee was fouled and sank one of two charity stripers.

The Pirates turned the ball over on a drive into the lane, and Lee again made one of two foul shots. Tinora rebounded her miss to help stymie any thought of a late comeback.

Bluffton got off three shots in the final seconds, but all missed as time expired.

Tinora made six of its 12 foul shots in the final stanza. Ram Sines netted six of her seven points in the fourth period. Lee also tallied six big points down the stretch in the decisive quarter.

Ram senior wing Mueller led Tinora with 15 points and seven rebounds. Junior Lee added 10 markers.

Pirate point guard Scoles compiled 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. She netted five points in the final stanza, and tallied eight of the 14 Bluffton second-half markers.

Sophomore Grandey yanked down a game-high 11 rebounds and scored four points. She made the first basket of the game on a layup. 

Hustling senior wing Kendal Giesige passed out three assists and added a steal before fouling out late in her swansong.

The Pirates canned just 13 of 45 shots from the field (29 percent). They hit eight of 26 deuces (31 percent) and made five of 19 shots from three-point land (26 percent). 

Bluffton converted four of eight free throw attempts (50 percent). Tinora converted 13 of 25 foul shots (52 percent).

Tinora connected on 12 of 38 field goal tries (32 percent). The Rams sank seven of 18 two-pointers (39 percent), and sank five of 20 triples (25 percent). 

Bluffton committed 12 turnovers, while Tinora made 11 miscues. The Rams narrowly won the rebound battle, 33-31. Tinora scored 15 points off turnovers to six by the Pirates.

It was the last game for Pirate seniors Scoles, Eachus, Giesige, Julia Mehaffie and Alaina Grothause.

Bluffton 35 (13-10)

Mehaffie 0-5 0-0 0, Fleece 0 0-0 0, Eachus 8-14 0-0 21, Schweingruber 0 0-0 0, Giesige 0-3 0-2 0, Scoles 4-15 2-4 10, Grothause 0 0-0 0, Grandey 1-7 2-2 4, Utendorf 0 0-0 0. Schaadt 0-1 0-0 0. 

Totals: 13-45/4-8/35. 3-pointers (5-19): Eachus 5-9, Scoles 0-5, Schaadt 0-1, Giesige 0-1, Mehaffie 0-2, Grandey 0-1.

Tinora 42 (13-10) 

Sines 2-3 3-4 7, Harr 0 0-0 0, Mueller 4-9 4-6 15, Lee 3-10 4-10 10, Nagel 0-1 0-0 0, K. Okuley 1-7 0-1 3, Durfey 0-1 1-2 1, N. Okuley 2-7 1-2 6.

Totals: 12-38/13-25/42. 3-pointers (5-20): Mueller 3-6, N. Okuley 1-4, K. Okuley 1-5, Lee 0-4, Durfey 0-1.

1 2 3 4 F

Tin 7 2 19 14 42

Bluf 11 10 7 7 35