The three-point bombing Bluffton High School girls basketball team built an 11-point halftime lead and held on to upset state-ranked Crestview 61-51 in a home Northwest Conference girls basketball battle Thursday night.
Ranked 10th in the state, the Knight girls trailed the hosts 20-16 after a high-scoring first period. Senior guard Sami Scoles poured in 12 points on four triples in the opening stanza to shoot Bluffton into the lead.
The Pirate girls extended the advantage to 36-25 at halftime as Riley Eachus netted a pair of second-period treys. Bluffton stretched the margin to 47-32 after three periods, and held off a 19-point Knight final stanza to win by 10.
Scoles added seven of her game-high 21 markers in the fourth quarter to help keep Crestview at bay.
Bluffton knocked down 10 three-point field goals to help pull off the upset.
Four Pirates scored in double figures to pace a balanced offensive attack. Eachus scored 11 points, while freshman post Ayla Grandey and senior Kylie Monday each added 10 markers.
The Lady Pirates improved to 9-3 and 2-1 in the NWC with their biggest win of the season. The formerly league-leading Lady Knights dropped to 10-3 and 3-1 in the NWC with the loss.
Laci McCoy led the Knights with 15 points, while Cali Gregory added 14. Macy Kulwicki tossed in 11 points.
The Pirate girls drained 18 field goals, including eight two-pointers and 10 triples. They converted 15 of 25 free throw attempts (60 percent).
The Lady Knights sank 20 field goals, knocking down 15 two-pointers and five trifectas. Crestview converted six of its 10 free throw tries (60 percent).
Crestview 51 (10-3, 3-1 NWC)
Greulach 0, Putman 5 1-4 11, Kulwicki 0, Kline 3 0-0 7, Gregory 5 2-2 14, McCoy 6 1-2 15, Etzler 1 2-2 4.
Totals: 15-5/6-10/51. 3-pointers: Gregory 2, McCoy 2, Kline 1.
Bluffton 61 (8-4, 1-2 NWC)
Busch 1 4-8 6, Eachus 3 2-2 11, Giesige 1 0-0 3, Scoles 6 4-7 21, Monday 3 3-4 10, Grandey 4 2-4 10.
Totals: 8-10/15-25/61. 3-pointers: Scoles 5, Eachus 3, Giesige 1, Monday 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Cview 16 9 7 19 51
Bluf 20 16 11 14 61
Bluffton visits struggling former NWC foe Paulding (1-7) Saturday, January 8.
