By Cort Reynolds
Click here to read the opening round game summaries
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton girls basketball broke away from a close game at halftime to defeat Allen East handily 62-36 in the consolation round of the annual McDonald's Holiday Tournament Saturday evening.
The Lady Pirates improved to 1-1 with the win, while AE fell to 0-2 after the defeat.
Bluffton led just 24-23 at intermission after a low-scoring second quarter. But the Pirate girls took control with a 20-9 third period as five different players hit field goals.
The hosts then blew it open by outscoring AE 18-4 in the final stanza as six players scored. The Mustangs were able to only make four field goals in the second half against the Bluffton defense.
All told, the hosts out-pointed the Mustangs 38-13 in the decisive second half to win going away.
Junior Kylie Monday led three Pirates in double figures with 16 points. She also pulled down six rebounds while passing out three assists.
Bluffton's 5-11 junior Kylie Stackhouse tallied a dozen points. Lone senior Laykin Garmatter contributed 11 markers, three assists and four steals.
Junior Sophie Bricker grabbed seven of the 28 Bluffton boards. Junior Haelynn Bischoff added six points and three assists. Sophomore Sami Scoles added seven points.
Scoles passed out four assists, while Stackhouse and Monday each had two assists. Monday added three steals.
AE committed 27 costly turnovers, and was out-rebounded 28-19.
Savana Brooks led the Mustangs with 12 points and two triples, but all of her points came in the first half. She netted nine points in the opening stanza as the teams battled through a high-scoring 20-17 first period.
Stackhouse netted seven points and Monday tallied five for Bluffton in the opening quarter as they built a three-point lead.
Freshman post Soraya Jackson scored 10 points and pulled down six of the 19 Mustang rebounds. Emma Richardson netted eight points, and Kennedy Truex added six markers.
AE's Emma Brinkman added three caroms and four assists. Brooks and Richardson were credited with three steals apiece.
Stackhouse and Brooks were named to the all-tournament team.
The Lady Pirates hit on 24 of 57 shots overall from the field (42 percent). They sank four of 13 from beyond the arc (31 percent), and canned 20 of 44 from two-point range (45 percent).
AE connected on 14 of 41 from the field (34 percent). The Mustangs knocked down 12 of 39 inside the arc (31 percent) and hit both of their attempts from three-point territory (100 percent).
The Mustangs converted just six of 15 from the foul line (40 percent), while Bluffton canned 10 of 16 from the charity stripe (63 percent).
AE 36 (0-2)
Brinkman 0, Truex 3 0-0 6, Brooks 5 0-0 12, Richardson 2 4-9 8, Jackson 4 2-6 10, Rodriguez 0.
Totals: 14-41/6-15/36. 3-pointers (2-2): Brooks 2.
Bluffton 62 (1-1)
Bischoff 3 0-0 6, L. Garmatter 4 2-3 11, Stackhouse 5 1-2 12, Busch 0, Eachus 2 0-0 5, Bricker 2 1-3 5, Scoles 3 1-2 7, Monday 5 5-6 16.
Totals: 24-57/10-16/62. 3-pointers (4-13): L. Garmatter 1, Monday 1, Stackhouse 1, Eachus 1.
1 2 3 4 F
AE 17 6 9 4 36
Bluf 20 4 20 18 62
Bluffton is slated to return to the hardwood when the Pirate girls host Ft. Jennings Saturday, November 28.
AE is idle for nine days before it hosts Ridgemont in the Lady Mustang home opener Monday evening, Nov. 30. The Mustangs then visit local non-league rival Waynesfield-Goshen Tuesday, December 1.
Hornet girls win 1st Bluffton tourney crown
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Cory-Rawson outlasted Arlington 53-46 in overtime of the championship game to win their first-ever Bluffton Holiday Tournament girls basketball title Saturday night.
Hornet senior Zoe Chisholm scored 17 points and made five steals to spearhead the win, and was named tournament MVP. She registered 33 points and 11 swipes in the two games.
Defending champion Arlington led 20-9 after the first period and maintained a 29-19 advantage at halftime. But Cory took a 36-34 lead with a 17-5 third quarter outburst.
The game was tied 46-46 at the end of regulation. C-R then won the extra session 7-0 to avenge last year's finals loss to the Red Devils and clinch their first McDonald's crown.
The Hornets limited the Lady Devils to just six field goals and 17 points over the final 20 minutes, enabling them to rally and win the championship.
Karissa Welte led C-R (2-0) with 18 markers. Paige McVetta aded eight points.
Brooklyn Smith of Arlington (1-1) topped all scorers with 20 points in the title game, and she added five rebounds. No other Lady Red Devil scored more than seven points, however.
C-R out-rebounded the Red Devils, 29-23. Cory committed 24 turnovers while Arlington was charged with 26 miscues.
Hornet Mackenzie Cascaden led the victors with eight rebounds and added five points. Libby McVetta paced C-R with three assists.
Kylie Jolliff led Arlington on the boards with six caroms. Cloe Crist passed out four assists, while Jarah Smith came up with four steals for the runner-up Lady Devils.
Arlington's Jolliff and Crist were named to the all-tournament team, as were Welte and Cascaden from the Hornets.
The Hornet girls sank 17 of 45 field shots (38 percent). They made 14 of 32 two-point tries (44 percent), and sank three of 13 three-pointers (23 percent). C-R converted 16 of 25 free throws (64 percent).
The C-R defense limited the Devils to just 26 points over the final three quarters and overtime.
Arlington connected on 16 of its 50 shot attempts overall (32 percent). They made just seven of 26 two-pointers (27 percent), and hit on nine of 24 from beyond the arc (38 percent). The Devils struggled from the charity stripe, converting five of 12 (42 percent).
1 2 3 4 OT F
C-R 9 10 17 10 7 53
Arl 20 9 5 12 0 46
All-Tournament Team
MVP: Zoe Chisholm, C-R
Savana Brooks, AE
Karissa Welte, C-R
Mackenzie Cascaden, C-R
Kylie Jolliff, Arl
Cloe Crist, Arl
Kylie Stackhouse, Bluf
The Lady Hornets knocked off Bluffton 39-29 Friday, while Arlington beat AE 48-44 in the other semifinal.
