By Cort Reynolds
Click here to read consolation and title game stories
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton girls basketball team tipped off its season with a 39-29 loss to Cory-Rawson in the semifinals of the annual McDonald's Holiday Tournament Friday night.

The cold-shooting Lady Pirates were held to just one second half basket, a three-pointer by Laykin Garmatter, in the loss.

Bluffton will take on county NWC rival Allen East in the consolation game Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. 

Defending tourney champion Arlington will face Cory-Rawson for the second straight year in the title game following the third-place contest. 

Bluffton led 23-20 at intermission, but managed to score just six points in the second half to lose by 10.

The Lady Pirates fell to 0-1 with the defeat, while C-R improved to 1-0.

Cory overcame a three-point halftime deficit by outscoring the hosts 10-1 in the third quarter. They then out-pointed Bluffton 9-5 in the final period.

Hornet senior Zoe Chisholm led all scorers with 16 points. She netted all 12 C-R points in the second period. Chisholm also led the winners with six steals and four assists.

Junior post Karissa Welte tallied all 10 of her markers in the second half for the Hornets. Senior post Mackenzie Cascaden led C-R with eight rebounds, and added six points.

Junior Kylie Stackhouse led the Pirates with nine points. Sami Scoles scored six points, and Kylie Monday added five.

Riley Busch topped the Pirates by grabbing seven of their 34 rebounds. Monday and Sophie Bricker each pulled down six boards.

Scoles passed out four assists, while Stackhouse and Monday each had two assists. Monday added three steals.

Frigid shooting cost the Bluffton girls in the loss. The Lady Pirates hit on just 10 of 49 shots from the field (20 percent). They made two of 18 beyond the arc (11 percent), and sank eight of 31 from two-point range (26 percent).

C-R hit on 13 of 41 from the field (32 percent), including 11 of 33 inside the arc (33 percent) and two for eight from three-point territory (25 percent).

Cory converted 11 of 19 from the foul line    (58 percent), while 
Bluffton canned seven of 10 from the charity stripe (70 percent).

C-R also knocked off Bluffton in the first round last season by a similar score of 37-30.

 
C-R 39 (1-0)
Chisholm 5 4-6 16, Cascaden 3 0-0 6, Welte 3 4-6 10, Reece 0 0-4 0, P. McVetta 2 1-1 5, L. McVetta 0 2-2 2.
Totals: 13-41/11-19/39. 3-pointers (2-8): Chisholm 2.

Bluffton 29 (0-1)
Bischoff 1 2-2 4, L. Garmatter 1 0-0 3, Stackhouse 3 3-4 9, Busch 0 2-2 2, Bricker 0 0-1 0, Scoles 3 0-1 6, Monday 2 0-0 5. 
Totals: 10-49/7-10/29. 3-pointers (2-18): L. Garmatter 1, Monday 1.

    1    2    3    4    F    
C-R    8    12    10    9    39
Bluf    9    14    1    5    29    

Arlington beat Allen East 48-44 in the first semifinal Friday night.

Arlington girls edge AE in opener at Bluffton tourney
By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON - Defending McDonald's Holiday Tournament champion Arlington squeaked past Allen East 48-44 in the first semifinal Friday night at Bluffton to tip off the girls basketball season.

Arlington (1-0) led 24-20 at halftime and extended its margin to 39-32 heading to the final period. AE outscored the Red Devils 12-9 in the fourth stanza, but could not overcome the seven-point deficit.

Savana Brooks of AE led all scorers with 17 points. Alex Rodriguez contributed 10 points, while Elle Richardson netted eight. Kennedy Truex added six markers.

Soraya Jackson yanked down 11 rebounds to pace the Mustangs on thr boards. Brooks dished out four assists, and Truex added three steals.
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Devil junior Kylie Jolliff led the victors with 16 points. Senior point guard Cloe Crist contributed 13 points on the strength of three triples.

The Mustangs sank 16 field goals, all two-pointers. They canned 12 of 21 free throws (57 percent). From the floor, AE made 16 of 49 shots (32 percent), including 16 of 48 inside the arc (33 percent). They missed their only triple try (0-1).

Arlington connected on 13 two-pointers and five three-point goals. The Devils converted just seven of 19 free throws (37 percent).

AE committed 24 turnovers and pulled down 37 rebounds.

Arlington 48 (1-0)
Stewart 2 2-4 6, Beach 1 2-3 5, Crist 4 2-8 13, Agapiou 2 0-0 4, B. Smith 1 0-0 2, Jolliff 7 1-4 16, J. Smith 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 13-5/7-19/48. 3-pointers: Crist 3, Jolliff 1, Beach 1.

AE 44 (0-1)
Brinkman 0, Truex 2 2-2 6, Brooks 6 5-7 17, Richardson 3 2-8 8, 
Jackson 0 3-4 3, Rodriguez 5 0-0 10. 
Totals: 16-49/12-21/44. 3-pointers (0-1): none. 

    1    2    3    4    F    
Arl    10    14    15    9    48
AE    9    11    12    12    44

The loss put the Mustang girls in the consolation game Saturday night vs. host Bluffton, which lost 39-29 to Cory-Rawson in the other semifinal. 

AE plays their county and league rival Pirates in the third-place contest Saturday, November 21 at 5:30 p.m. Bluffton beat the Mustangs in the consolation game last year.