By Cort Reynolds
The Bluffton High School boys basketball team executed an epic fourth quarter rally to force an eventual double-overtime thriller against backyard rival Allen East in Div. III sectional semifinal action at the Elida Fieldhouse Wednesday night, February 22.
The Pirates then outscored AE in the second overtime 17-6, primarily from the foul line, to complete an improbable 78-67 comeback win, with the final margin of victory quite misleading.
Bluffton trailed by 16 points going into the fourth period, but rallied to tie it with a 27-11 flurry.
Including the overtimes, the Pirates outscored the Mustangs 50-23 after the third period. Bluffton scored 14 of its 17 points in the second OT at the charity stripe.
Both rivals came into the evenly-matched fray with identical 14-8 records.