By Cort Reynolds
FT. JENNINGS - The visiting Bluffton girls basketball team built a big early lead and easily beat winless Fort Jennings 63-44 in a non-league game this past Saturday afternoon.

The Lady Pirates ran out to a 47-18 halftime bulge and cruised to victory.

The Pirate girls improved to 2-1 with the blowout victory, while FJ fell to 0-4 with the defeat.

The victors ran out to a 23-12 lead after one period. Bluffton then put the game away with a season-best 24-point second stanza while limiting FJ to just six points.

The Musketeers outscored the Pirates 26-16 after intermission, but the game was well out of reach by then.

Bluffton was led by Kylie Stackhouse with 18 points. Libby Schaadt tallied 14 points on seven two-pointers, while Laykin Garmatter added 10 markers.

Kristin Luersman led FJ with 16 points and nine rebounds. Jessie Foust added 14 markers.

The Bluffton girls canned 29 baskets, including 27 goals from two-point range. The Pirates converted three of six from the charity stripe (50  percent) and hit on two triples.

The Lady Musketeers sank 19 field goals and just one three-point basket. FJ hit on five of seven at the foul line (71 percent). 

 
FJ 44 (0-4)
Dickman 3 0-0 6, Luersman 7 2-3 16, Foust 5 3-4 14, Fitzpatrick 3 0-1 6, R. Von Sossan 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 19/5-7/44. 3-pointer: Foust 1.

Bluffton 63 (2-1)
Bischoff 0, B. Garmatter 2 0-0 5, L. Garmatter 5 0-0 10, White 3 0-0 7, Mittendorf 0 1-2 1, Stackhouse 8 2-4 18, Busch 1 0-0 2, Monday 3 0-0 6, Schaadt 7 0-0 14.
Totals: 29/3-6/63. 3-pointers: B. Garmatter 1, White 1.
 
    1    2    3    4    F
FJ    12    6    13    13    44    
Bluf    23     24    6    10    63

Bluffton (1-1 home) hosts Delphos Jefferson Thursday, December 5 in the Northwest Conference opener.