By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton boys basketball team lost to hot-shooting Arlington 87-71 Wednesday night in the de facto finals of their annual Christmas break holiday tournament.
The Red Devils drained 13 three-point goals to overcome an early deficit and win going away over the Pirates.
It was Bluffton's second game in as many nights after beating Continental 68-40 Tuesday in what normally would have been the tourney semifinals.
The Pirates led 21-16 after the first period as Trenton Donley splashed a pair of three-pointers. Carson Soper also contributed five points in the opening stanza.
But Arlington took control with a 26-17 second quarter to grab a 42-38 halftime edge. Bryce Gast poured in a dozen points during the momentum-changing period.
The Red Devils extended the margin to 65-54 with a 23-16 third stanza behind 10 markers from Caden Lafferty.
Ada transfer guard Brandon Hull netted 13 fourth-quarter markers to help Arlington pull away and post the 16-point victory.
Hull led all scorers with 25 points, while Lafferty and Gast each added 18.
Kyler Kinn paced three Pirates in double figures with 16 points, eight of those coming in the final stanza. Nate Schaadt scored 15, while Trey Boblitt added 14 markers.
Bluffton dropped to 3-3 with the defeat, while Arlington improved to 4-2 after the win.
Arlington connected on four more field goals than the Pirates. The Red Devils sank 13 launches from three-point territory, and hit on 18 two-point baskets.
Arlington canned 12 of 19 attempts from the charity stripe (63 percent). The Devils sank seven of 10 at foul line in the fourth quarter.
The Pirates canned 19 baskets inside the arc, and drained eight shots from three-point land. They converted nine of 16 free throws (56 percent) from the charity stripe.
Bluffton committed just nine turnovers.
Arlington 87 (4-2)
Launder 1 0-0 3, Hull 10 3-6 25, Thornton 5 0-1 14, Price 1 0-0 3, Frysinger 2 0-0 4, Lafferty 6 4-6 18, Gast 5 5-6 18, Bateson 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 18-13/12-19/87. 3-pointers: Thornton 4, Gast 3, Hull 2, Lafferty 2, Price 1, Launder 1.
Bluffton 71 (3-3)
Donley 3 0-0 8, T. Shutler 3 0-2 6, Kinn 6 1-1 16, Boblitt 5 1-2 14, Schaadt 6 3-4 15, Soper 2 3-6 7, Essinger 2 1-1 5.
Totals: 19-8/9-16/71. 3-pointers: Boblitt 3, Kinn 3, Donley 2.
1 2 3 4 F
Arl 16 26 23 22 87
Bluf 21 17 16 17 71
The Pirates are slated to visit traditional power Ottawa-Glandorf (7-1) Saturday, January 2. O-G is 1-1 at home and 6-0 on the road.
Bluffton is now 2-2 at home and 1-1 on the road this season.
