By Cort Reynolds
ELIDA - The visiting Bluffton girls basketball team lost to Elida 46-30 in a low-scoring non-league contest Saturday afternoon at the Bulldog Fieldhouse.
The Lady Pirates fell behind 24-10 at halftime after they mustered just three second-period points.
Bluffton heated up enough to register a 14-14 third period, and was only outscored 22-20 after intermission.
But the Pirate girls were not able to eat into the Lady Bulldog lead.
Bluffton's record dropped to 6-5 at the midway point of their regular season with the defeat. Elida improved to 3-3 with the victory.
Sami Scoles was the only Pirate in double figures with 10 points.
Teammates Kylie Stackhouse, Haelynn Bischoff and Riley Busch each added five markers. Bischoff and Busch both netted a two-point goal and a trey in the third quarter.
Elida's Amira Freeman led all scorers with 20 points. Addisyn Freeman contributed 10 points.
The Pirate girls knocked down 11 baskets, sinking six two-pointers and five triples. Bluffton converted three of six free throw attempts (50 percent).
Elida connected on 19 field goals, making 14 two-pointers and five shots from three-point territory. The Bulldog girls canned all three of their foul shots (100 percent).
Elida 46 (3-3)
Johnson 1 0-0 2, Am. Freeman 7 3-3 20, Lopez 4 0-0 8, Ad. Freeman 4 0-0 10, Reece 1 0-0 2, Little 1 0-0 2, Mitchell 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 14-5/3-3/46. 3-pointers: Am. Freeman 3, Ad. Freeman 2.
Bluffton 30 (6-5)
Bischoff 2 0-0 5, Garmatter 1 0-0 2, Busch 2 0-0 5, Eachus 0, Stackhouse 2 1-2 5, Scoles 3 2-4 10, Monday 1 0-0 3.
Totals: 6-5/3-6/30. 3-pointers: Scoles 2, Monday 1, Bischoff 1, Busch 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Eli 9 15 14 8 46
Blf 7 3 14 6 30
Bluffton (1-1 NWC, 2-3 road) makes up its postponed Dec. 17 league game at Crestview (5-1, 1-1 NWC) Tuesday, January 5.
The Pirates (4-2 home) then host conference leader Paulding (9-2, 3-0 NWC) in a tough matchup Thursday, January 7.
On Saturday, Bluffton ends a busy week of four games in eight days by entertaining non-league foe Van Buren (4-3).
