AE downs Devils, to face Pirates in title game Saturday

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON – The Bluffton High School girls basketball team tipped off its season with a convincing 49-23 win over visiting Cory-Rawson in the semifinals of the annual Lewis Family McDonald’s Holiday Classic tournament Thursday night, November 21

The semifinals were moved up one day so as not to conflict with Bluffton playing Patrick Henry Friday night in the region 22 football finals. 

The Pirate girls (1-0) will take on backyard foe Allen East (1-0) in the championship game Saturday evening at approximately 6:30 p.m.

The two rivals have faced off in the last two McDonald’s tournament finals. AE won last year, while the Pirates took the crown in 2022 with a three-point win. ▶︎

In Thursday’s nightcap, Bluffton raced to a 20-4 lead after the first quarter against the Hornets and never looked back. 

The Pirates led 27-5 at intermission by holding C-R without a basket in the second stanza. The Hornets were more competitive after intermission, but the hosts still won the second half, 22-18. 

Pirate senior post Ayla Grandey scored a game-high 16 points on five field goals and 6-7 foul shooting. Eight of her points came in the third stanza. 

Junior Blair Utendorf scored six of her eight points in the opening quarter. She ended up canning four baskets. 

Freshman Maelee Miller added seven points. She scored five points and drained a triple in the first period. Junior Macy Schaadt contributed a triple and six markers. Sophomore Gracie Warren added four points.

The Pirates sank 15 deuces and three trifectas. The victors canned 10 of 13 at the charity stripe.

Addyson Duffman led Cory with six points. C-R made just eight two-point field goals and one triple. The Hornets shot four of nine at the foul line.

1 2 3 4 F

Bluf 20 7 13 9 49

C-R 4 1 14 4 23

AE whipped Arlington 57-36 in the first semifinal Thursday night. The Mustang girls raced to a commanding 19-3 advantage after the opening stanza, led 35-15 at the half and were never threatened. 

Mustang senior guard Rilynn Jones poured in 23 points to pace the victors. 

The speedster scored nine points in the first period and tallied eight more in the third stanza. Jones knocked down eight two-point goals, sank two three-pointers and hit one free throw.

AE’s Evelyn Lehman hit four first-half triples and scored a career-high 14 points. Brooklynn Crumrine added nine markers off the bench.

Jada Smith led the Red Devils with 11 points.

“Once we settled in and got going, we did some good things,” said AE head coach Aaron Montgomery. “Rilynn was great, she attacked the paint and really put the pressure on defenders.

“Evelyn Lehman stepped up and knocked down some shots,” he continued. “That was good to see, it led to her confidence growing.

“Dylan Miller busted it on the defensive end and had to have 10 rebounds,” Montgomery noted. “Brooklynn Crumrine came off the bench and provided the spark we needed offensively.”

AE canned 14 two-pointers, seven triples and converted eight of 10 foul shots. The Red Devils sank seven two’s, six three’s and canned just four of 13 free throws. 

1 2 3 4 F

AE 19 16 12 10 57

Arl 3 12 6 15 36

“Playing Bluffton, there is still some familiarity there,” said Montgomery of the league foe. “They are a good team with a dominant post player in Grandey, and have a shooter in Schaadt. “We will have to push the pace. 

“It should be a good game, we just have to trust our game plan and execute our focuses for the game,” he added.

Arlington (0-1) will face C-R (0-1) in the third-place consolation game Saturday evening at 5 p.m.