By Cort Reynolds
PAULDING - Host Paulding outscored Bluffton 41-19 in the second half to rally for a 62-46 Northwest Conference girls basketball victory Thursday night.

Bluffton led 12-9 after one period and extended their edge to 27-21 at halftime as Laykin Garmatter splashed five first-half triples. 

But the Lady Pirates scored just five third-period points and got outscored 27-14 in the final stanza to lose by 16.

The defeat dropped the Pirate girls record to 9-3 overall and they fell from the unbeaten ranks in NWC play at 3-1. Meanwhile, Paulding improved to 9-3 overall and 2-2 in the NWC with the win.

Bluffton junior guard Laykin Garmatter led all scorers with 22 points on the strength of six trifectas. She netted 19 of her points in the first half. Sophomore Kylie Stackhouse added eight markers.   

Panther senior wing Chelsi Giesige led all scorers with 21 points. She scored eight key points in each of the third and fourth periods.

Paulding junior guard Jalynn Parrett contributed nine of her 15 points in the fourth quarter. Junior Leigha Egnor added eight markers.

Paulding outscored Bluffton 14-5 in the third quarter to rally from six points behind at intermission to a 35-32 lead heading to the final stanza. 

The Panthers then hit 13 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter en route to a whopping 27-point closing period.

The Bluffton girls canned 16 baskets, including nine two-pointers and seven goals from three-point range. The Pirate girls converted seven of 19 from the charity stripe (37 percent).

The Panther girls sank 20 field goals, with 17 deuces and three three-point baskets. Paulding converted 19 of 27 at the foul line (70 percent). 

Paulding (9-3, 2-2 NWC)
Parrett 5 4-4 15, McCullough 1 1-2 3, Pease 2 3-6 7, Egnor 2 4-4 8, C. Giesige 8 5-5 21, A. Giesige 2 1-4 7, Estle 0 1-2 1.
Totals: 20/19-27/62. 3-pointers: A. Giesige 2, Parrett 1.

Bluffton (9-3, 3-1 NWC)
B. Garmatter 2 0-0 5, L. Garmatter 7 2-3 22, White 1 0-0 2, Stackhouse 3 2-4 8, Monday 1 2-2 4, Scoles 0 0-1 0, Bricker 0 0-1 0, Schaadt 2 1-8 5. 
Totals: 16/7-19/46. 3-pointers: L. Garmatter 6, B. Garmatter 1.
 
    1    2    3    4    F
Pau    9    12    14    27    62
Bluf    12    15    5    14    46    

League-leading Bluffton (6-2 home) is idle for a week before hosting winless Lincolnview (0-11, 0-3 NWC) Thursday, January 16.