By Cort Reynolds
PANDORA - Visiting Bluffton went to BVC co-leader Pandora-Gilboa and lost a 59-39 non-conference boys basketball game Saturday night. 

P-G methodically outscored cold-shooting Bluffton in each quarter. They tallied 16 points in three of the four periods to win going away.

The Rockets were up 16-10 after the first quarter. The hosts extended the margin by three points to 27-18 at halftime. 

Their cushion was 43-30 heading to the final stanza. The Rockets out-pointed the Pirates 16-9 in the fourth period as well.

Pirate Trenton Donley led the team with 11 points, seven of which came in the third period. 

Nine Rockets scored, led by 14 points apiece from Bryce Basinger and Blake Steiner. Steiner netted eight of his points in the third period by hitting two trifectas. Aiden Harris added nine markers.

Bluffton's record dropped to 6-10 overall as a result of their third defeat in their last four games. The Rockets improved to 8-7 with the victory. 

Pirate junior Nate Schaadt netted 10 points, and senior Nic Essinger added eight markers.

The Pirates hit 14 shots from inside the arc, but drained only two shots from three-point land. Bluffton converted five of 10 attempts (50 percent) from the charity stripe.  

P-G canned 20 total baskets, four more than the Pirates made. The tough Rocket defense helped hold high-scoring Bluffton 30 points below their average.      

The Rockets connected on 14 two-point baskets and sank six trifectas. They converted 13 of 16 attempts from the charity stripe (81 percent).     

Bluffton committed 17 turnovers, while the Rockets were guilty of 15 errors.

The Pirates are now 1-6 on the road this season.

P-G 59 (8-7)
W. Huffman 0 3-4 3, A. Harris 2 4-5 9, C. Harris 1 0-0 3, E. Huffman 1 0-0 2, Krohn 1 2-2 5, Steiner 4 3-4 14, Luginbill 2 1-1 5, Maag 0, Basinger 7 0-0 14, Bierly 2 0-0 4.
Totals: 14-6/13-16/59. 3-pointers: Steiner 3, A. Harris 1, C. Harris 1, Krohn 1.

Bluffton 39 (6-10)
Donley 4 2-2 11, T. Shutler 1 0-0 2, Kinn 0, Boblitt 0 1-2 1, Schaadt 5 0-2 10, Lovell 0, Soper 1 1-2 3, Essinger 4 0-0 8, Stever 1 0-0 3, Coonfare 0 1-2 1.
Totals: 14-2/5-10/39. 3-pointers: Donley 1, Stever 1.

    1    2    3    4    F
P-G    16    11    16    16    59
Blf    10    8    12    9    39 

The Pirates return to conference play Friday, February 5 at slumping Allen East (8-8, 1-4 NWC). AE won its first four games but took their first loss at home to Spencerville 78-63 this past Friday. 

The Mustangs also fell to Cory-Rawson Saturday 46-37 to suffer their fourth defeat in a row. AE is 5-1 at home.

Rivals Crestview and Lincolnview are tied for second in the NWC at 4-1, a game behind Grove.

Bluffton boys' vs. Columbus Grove
BLUFFTON - Homestanding Bluffton fell behind by 21 at halftime to two-time defending league champion Columbus Grove and went on to lose an 83-60 Northwest Conference boys game Friday night. 

Grove knocked down 13 three-pointers, including nine triples in the first half, to blow the game open early.

Bluffton trailed 26-15 after a high-scoring first period. The Bulldogs extended the margin to 46-25 at intermission.

Grove advanced its lead to 68-42 after three quarters. Bluffton won the final stanza 18-15 as Pirate Trenton Donley poured in 10 of his 20 game-high points. 

Bluffton's record dropped to 6-9 overall (1-5 NWC) as a result of the defeat. The Bulldogs improved to 11-1 (5-0 NWC) with the victory. 

Senior Nic Essinger and Trey Boblitt each added 10 markers. Boblitt knocked down a pair of trifectas.

Senior Blake Reynolds led four CG players in double figues with 16 points.    Tayt Birnesser tallied 15, while Gabe Clement netted 14 and Trey Sautter added 10.  

Grove's Brock Hoffman canned three treys to score nine points and just miss being the fifth Bulldog in double digits.

The Pirates hit 16 shots from inside the arc, and drained eight shots from three-point land. Bluffton converted four of its six tries (67 percent) from the charity stripe.  

Grove canned 30 total baskets, six more than the Pirates sank.      

The Bulldogs connected on 17 two-point baskets. They converted 10 of 13 attempts from the charity stripe (77 percent).     

Bluffton committed 18 turnovers, while the Bulldogs made 13 errors.

The Pirates are now 4-4 at home this season.

CG 83 (11-1, 5-0 NWC)
B. Birnesser 2 0-0 4, Reynolds 7 0-0 16, T. Birnesser 4 4-5 15, Clement 5 2-4 14, Sautter 4 0-0 10, Schroeder 2 4-4 8, Hoffman 3 0-0 9, Halker 2 0-0 7.
Totals: 17-13/10-13/83. 3-pointers: T. Birnesser 3, Hoffman 3, Reynolds 2, Clement 2, Sautter 2, Halker 1.

Bluffton 60 (6-9, 1-5 NWC)
Donley 7 2-2 20, T. Shutler 1 0-1 2, Kinn 2 0-1 5, Boblitt 4 0-0 10, Schaadt 1 0-0 2, Lovell 1 2-2 4, Soper 3 0-0 7, Essinger 5 0-0 10.
Totals: 16-8/4-6/60. 3-pointers: Donley 4, Boblitt 2, Soper 1, Kinn 1. 

 
    1    2    3    4    F
CG    26    20    22    15     83     
Blf    15    10    17    18     60 

Bluffton plays at Blanchard Valley Conference co-leader Pandora-Gilboa (7-7, 6-1 BVC) Saturday, January 30 in a non-league encounter. 

The Rockets fell 56-50 to Liberty-Benton Friday to drop into a first-place tie with Leipsic atop the BVC.

The Pirates (2-5 road) return to conference play Friday, February 5 at Allen East (8-7, 1-4 NWC). AE lost to Spencerville 78-63 Friday.

Rivals Crestview and Lincolnview are tied for second in the NWC at 4-1, a game behind Grove.

BHS girls vs. Columbus Grove
COLUMBUS GROVE - Visiting Bluffton went scoreless over the middle periods in a defense-oriented 41-16 loss at Columbus Grove in Northwest Conference girls basketball action Thursday evening.

The ice-cold Lady Pirates trailed 8-3 after the first quarter of play. CG then advanced their lead to 20-3 by halftime with a second-period shutout.

Grove won the third stanza 14-0 as they extended the margin to 34-3. 

Bluffton finally got untracked in the fourth quarter, which they won 13-7.     

Bluffton dropped to 10-9 and 3-4 in the NWC with the defeat, while CG improved to 11-6 and 4-2 in the NWC after the victory. 

Grove sophomore Jaylen Sautter was the only player on either team in double figures with 11 points. Kenzie King added eight markers.

Kylie Monday led Bluffton with six points.    Haelynn Bischoff scored all four of her points in the final stanza. Jasi Crawfis and Monday each hit a triple in the fourth quarter.

The 16 points was by far the lowest output of the season by the Bluffton girls.

The Lady Pirates knocked down just six baskets. They canned four two-pointers and made two trifectas. Bluffton converted two of three free throw attempts (67 percent). 

The Bulldog girls connected on 17 field goals. They sank 11 two-pointers and hit six three-pointers. Grove converted just one of five foul shot tries (20 percent). 

Bluffton dropped to 3-6 on the road this season with the lopsided defeat.

CG 41 (11-6, 4-2 NWC)
Halker 0, Sautter 5 1-4 11, Fortman 3 0-0 6, Downing 2 0-0 6, Clement 3 0-1 7, S. Schroeder 1 0-0 3, King 3 0-0 8. H. Schroeder 0.
Totals: 11-6/1-5/41. 3-pointers: Downing 2, King 2, Clement 1, S. Schroeder 1. 
 
Bluffton 16 (10-9, 3-4 NWC)
Bischoff 2 0-0 4, Garmatter 1 0-0 2, Busch 0, Eachus 0, Stackhouse 0 1-2 1, Crawfis 1 0-0 3, Bricker 0, Scoles 0, Monday 2 1-1 6. 
Totals: 4-2/2-3/16. 3-pointers: Monday 1, Crawfis 1.     
 
    1    2    3    4    F
CG    8    12    14    7    41
Blf    3    0    0    13    16    

Bluffton (3-4 NWC) hosts struggling local league rival Allen East (3-13, 0-6 NWC) Thursday, February 4 as the Pirates attempt to halt a three-game losing skid. The Lady Mustangs sit last in the nine-team league standings.

Crestview (5-1 NWC) is tied for first in the conference standings with Delphos Jefferson (5-1). The co-leaders are followed closely by Paulding (5-2), Spencerville (4-2) and Grove (4-2).

Bluffton is sixth, ahead of Ada (1-5), Lincolnview (1-5) and AE (0-6).