The Bluffton High School boys basketball team rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to nip host Carey 50-49 in a non-conference nailbiter Saturday night, January 15. (Watch at https://youtu.be/FWfVUtZ48cA)
Kyler Kinn canned two clutch free throws with 22 seconds left to give Bluffton a one-point lead. Carey senior Bryce Conti missed a jump shot that would have won the game, but it rattled in and out.
Kinn rebounded the miss and dribbled out the clock while eluding a foul to preserve their 10th straight win.
Bluffton trailed 22-16 after a high-scoring first period, and fell further behind at halftime, 33-23. The Pirates trimmed the deficit to 42-37 after three quarters.
Bluffton rallied in the final period to win the game via the decisive stanza, 13-7.
Trenton Donley scored nine of the first 18 Pirate points, including a trey at the end of the first period that cut the Carey lead to six.
Carey led 24-18 two minutes into the second quarter after Donley and Ashton Hill traded baskets. Pirate senior southpaw Nate Schaadt canned his second basket to cut it to 24-20.
Three consecutive baskets by post player Jordan Vallejo gave Carey a 30-23 advantage after Kaden Lora followed in his own miss for Bluffton.
Devil Alex Putnam canned a triple shortly before halftime to give the hosts a 10-point cushion.
A Vallejo foul shot gave Carey a 38-32 lead with 2:17 left in the third period. Hill splashed a triple to extend the Devil advantage to 41-32.
Schaadt power his way in for a basket, followed by a Donley trifecta with 17 ticks left in the third stanza that cut the deficit to five.
Marek Donaldson drained a trifecta with 6:36 left in regulation to pull the Pirates within 42-40. Anthony Bell canned a putback basket for the Devils.
Donley sank a jumper at the five-minute mark to cut it to 44-42. Brayden Young split two foul shots to provide a three-point lead.
Kinn made one of two foul shots to pull within 45-43 with 3:25 left.
Donaldson missed a three-pointer, but Carson Soper rebounded and fed Kinn for the tying basket with just under two minutes left.
Carey regained the lead at 47-45 when senior Hill hit two charity stripers. Kinn was fouled and split the pair to make it 47-46.
Vallejo missed the front end of a one and one, and the Pirates rebounded.
Trey Boblitt made a basket to give Bluffton a 48-47 lead with 40 seconds left to play. Conti answered with a driving layup that put Carey back on top with 32 seconds remaining, 49-48.
Kinn was then fouled and canned the winning free tosses with 22 ticks to go.
The Pirates outscored Carey 27-16 in the second half to complete the comeback win.
Donley tallied 16 points to pace Bluffton. Schaadt added 11 markers.
Bluffton improved to 11-1 with their 10th consecutive victory.
Carey fell to 5-4 after the defeat.
1 2 3 4 F
Car 22 11 9 7 49
Blu 16 7 14 13 50
First-place Bluffton (4-0 NWC) visits Lincolnview (2-10, 0-3 NWC) in a league bout Friday, Jan. 21.
