By Cort Reynolds

COLUMBUS GROVE – The visiting Bluffton High School girls basketball team lost to Northwest Conference champion Columbus Grove 58-30 on February 6.

The Pirates trailed just 8-7 after the first period. But the Bulldogs spurted with a 17-5 second stanza to seize a 25-12 lead at halftime.

Bluffton trailed 40-24 after the third period. Grove put the finishing touches on their first league title since 2020 by authoring an 18-6 fourth period.   

Bluffton fell to 12-9 overall and finished 4-3 in the NWC after having their three-game win streak snapped. The Pirate girls tied for third in the league standings with Allen East, whom they defeated.

CG improved to 20-2 and won the NWC at 7-0 with the home victory that gave the Bulldogs an outright league crown. Crestview finished second in the NWC at 6-1.

Pirate senior post Ayla Grandey led Bluffton with nine points on two baskets and 4-4 foul shooting. Grandey also snagged a game-high 11 rebounds. Macy Schaadt netted seven markers on two triples.  

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Grace Warren scored five and junior Blair Utendorf added four.  Maelee Miller hauled in six rebounds and dished out three assists.

Aubrey Schroeder led CG with 15 points on six of 10 shooting, and she also grabbed nine rebounds. 

Lauren Auchmuty added a dozen markers, including 10 in the second stanza. She also made six steals and passed out six assists. Nicole Nesby added nine markers.

The Bulldogs outscored Bluffton 50-23 over the final three periods.

Team stats

Bluffton canned just five of 25 two-point attempts (20 percent) and splashed four trifectas in 10 attempts (40 percent). Overall, they connected on just nine of 35 shots (26 percent). The Pirates sank eight of 12 foul shots (67 percent).

By contrast, Grove canned 19 of their 35 two-pointers (54 percent), but drained just three of 22 triples (14 percent). In all from the field, CG sank 22 of 57 shots (39 percent). The Bulldogs converted 11 of 15 shots (73 percent) at the charity stripe.

CG outscored the Pirates in transition points, 23-2. They also won in points off turnovers, 28-4. Bluffton committed 23 costly turnovers, while CG made just seven miscues.

Grove outscored the Pirates 32-10 in the paint. Both teams grabbed 32 rebounds, with Bluffton snaring 23 defensive boards. CG pulled down 13 offensive caroms. The Bulldogs scored 12 second chance points to five by the Pirates.

Bluffton plays at WBL foe Bath (8-13) in the regular season finale.