By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Bluffton's Brinkley Garmatter drilled a three-pointer in the final seconds of overtime to edge Ottoville 55-53 in a girls basketball non-conference battle Saturday afternoon.

Host Bluffton trailed 37-19 at halftime, but rallied to tie it 50-50 at the end of regulation by holding Ottoville to just 13 second-half points.

The Lady Pirates then won the extra period 5-3. Bluffton ended up limiting the Big Green to just 16 points over the final 20 minutes.

Bluffton senior Libby Schaadt hit a basket in overtime to keep the Pirates within 53-52. Garmatter then splashed the winning triple with just 1.4 seconds remaining to play.

The Lady Pirates improved to 4-1    with their fourth consecutive victory. Meanwhile, Ottoville fell to 3-2 with a defeat that snapped their three-game win streak.

Senior Schaadt led the victors with 17 points. Sophomore Kylie Monday contributed 15 markers.

Jocelyn Geise, Nicole Knippen and Kylee Hoersten of Ottoville scored 12 points apiece to pace the visitors. But all three were limited to one basket each after intermission.

The Bluffton girls canned 21 baskets, including eight goals from three-point range. The Pirates converted five of seven from the charity stripe (71 percent).

The Big Green sank 23 field goals and four three-point baskets. Ottoville converted three of five at the foul line (60 percent). 

Ottoville led 14-8 after one period and extended the lead to 18 with a 23-11 second stanza. Bluffton rallied within 43-37 with a big 18-6 third period. The Pirates then tied it 50-50 with a 13-7 fourth quarter.

Ottoville 53 (3-2)
Geise 6 0-0 12, Thomas 2 1-2 5, Honigford 2 2-2 6, P. Wannemacher 1 0-0 2, Kramer 2 0-0 4, Knippen 5 0-1 12, Hoersten 5 0-0 12.
Totals: 23/3-5/53. 3-pointers: Knippen 2, Hoersten 2.

Bluffton 55 (4-1)
Bischoff 0, B. Garmatter 2 0-0 6, L. Garmatter 3 2-3 10, White 0, Mittendorf 1 0-0 3, Stackhouse 1 2-3 4, Busch 0, Bricker 0, Monday 6 0-0 15, Schaadt 8 1-1 17.
Totals: 21/5-7/55. 3-pointers: Monday 3, L. Garmatter 2, B. Garmatter 2, Mittendorf 1.
 
    1    2    3    4    OT    F
Otto    14    23    6    7    3    53
Bluf    8    11    18    13    5    55

Bluffton (1-0 NWC) next visits local league rival Ada (1-3, 0-1 NWC) Thursday, December 12. The Bulldog girls lost at Perry 49-43 Saturday.