By Sam Brauen www.blufftonpirates.com
(BLUFFTON) – Alivia Koenig scored a game high 22 points as Bluffton won their third straight contest with a 58-43 defeat of Paulding and improved to 6-2 on the season. 

Koenig connected on seven three pointers in the romp and in doing so, passed Caity Matter for the Bluffton school record for all time career three pointers made.  Libby Schaadt added 14 points and 6 rebounds in the win.

Keys to the Game
Bluffton took control of the game in the first half ending the first quarter on a 16-4 run and eventually taking a 30-16 lead into the half.  Koenig nailed three shots from downtown in the first quarter alone, setting the tone for her big night.  Bluffton scored six points in the paint in the second quarter as they extended their lead from 8 to 14 at the break.

The third quarter was forgettable for both teams.  16 turnovers and just 4 made field goals ground the game to a halt.  Paulding trimmed the Pirate lead down to just 8 points by scoring the first six points of the quarter. Brinkley Garmatter provided a spark off the bench when she grabbed an offensive rebound, fed Averey Rumer for a layup and got the Pirates kickstarted with 3:55 left in the third.  The Pirates maintained a 35-24 lead after three quarters.

Libby Schaadt got rolling in the fourth quarter, scoring 8 points in the paint in the first 3 minutes of the quarter.  The junior converted all of her shots from short range.  Her final bucket increased the BHS lead to 49-30 with 5:01 left in the game. 

Koenig finished the game as strong as she started with three more 3 pointers.  The senior broke Matter’s mark with 5:20 left in the contest.

Individual Pirate Statistics (Unofficial)
Alivia Koenig – 22 points, 7 threes, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
Libby Schaadt – 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Averey Rumer – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Ashley Eachus – 3 points, 5 rebounds
Kayla White – 3 points, one 3, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Katie Prater – 2 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Brinkley Garmatter – 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Laykin Garmatter – 2 points

Coach’s Comment
We put three good quarters together tonight.  Need to work on getting four good quarters in a row for next game.  Coach Eric Garmatter