By Cort Reynolds
NORTH BALTIMORE - Visiting Bluffton built an 18-point lead heading to the fourth period and held on to beat North Baltimore 52-45 in a non-league girls basketball contest Saturday afternoon.

Bluffton improved to 6-1 overall with its sixth consecutive victory.

The Lady Pirates turned a 29-22 halftime lead into an 18-point margin with a 20-9 third period.

Yet NB made the final score respectable with a 14-3 fourth quarter. Bluffton made no field goals in the final period as they sank just three of 12 free throws. But they had built up enough of a cushion to still win by seven.

Pirate senior post Libby Schaadt led all players with 20 points. Three other Bluffton girls - Kylie Monday, Laykin Garmatter and Kayla White - scored eight points apiece.

The Pirates canned five more field goals than NB (20-15), including three more trifectas (5-2). NB shot 13 of 18 at the foul line (72 percent), while the Pirates converted just seven of 22 at the charity stripe (32 percent).

NB 45 
Perez 1 2-2 5, Smith 1 0-0 2, Lee 1 2-2 4, Thomas 1 0-1 2, McCartney 3 4-7 10, Hagemyer 4 5-6 13, Inbody 2 0-0 4, Estrada 1 0-0 2, Long 1 0-0 3.
Totals: 15/13-18/45. 3-pointers: Perez 1, Long 1.  

Bluffton 52 (6-1, 2-0 NWC)
Bischoff 2 0-0 4, B. Garmatter 0, L. Garmatter 2 2-2 8, White 2 3-8 8, Mittendorf 0 0-2 0, Stackhouse 2 0-2 4, Busch 0, Monday 3 0-2 8, Schaadt 9 2-6 20.
Totals: 20/7-22/52. 3-pointers: L. Garmatter 2, Monday 2, White 1.
 
    1    2    3    4    F
NB    12    10    9    14    45    
Bluf    15    14    20    3    52

Bluffton (2-0 NWC) hosts Crestview (2-4, 1-1 NWC) Thursday, December 19 in a league contest.