By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Host Bluffton lost 65-58 to Lincolnview in a closely-contested Northwest Conference boys basketball match Friday night.

The Pirates led 14-13 after the opening stanza despite three trifectas from Lincolnview senior guard Clayton Leeth. But the Lancers won the second period 18-11 to take a 31-25 lead at halftime.

The Lancers narrowly out-pointed Bluffton 34-33 in the second half. Lincolnview canned six of seven foul shots in the final quarter, and shot 8-9 at the line in the second half.

Lancer ace Leeth led all scorers with 26 points on the strength of five triples. He tallied seven key points in the fourth period.

Bluffton's record dropped to 4-7 overall and 1-3 in the NWC with the loss. The Lancers improved to 8-1 and 2-0 in league play with the win.     

Carson Soper led Bluffton with 16 points. Nic Essinger tallied a season-high 14 points, while Kyler Kinn added 10 markers. Tyson Shutler also scored eight points. Trey Boblitt splashed a pair of treys for six points.

Soper and Kinn each netted six points in the final period.

Three other Lancers hit double figures to support Leeth. Senior wing Creed Jessee scored 14, senior playmaker Collin Overholt tallied 11 and senior post Jake Bowersock added 10.

All but four of the points by the veteran Lancer team were netted by seniors. Jessee scored seven points in the momentum-changing second stanza, and also converted all four of his free throw tries in the fourth period.

Lincolnview canned 24 baskets compared to 23 field goals by the Pirates, hitting one more triple than Bluffton. They also sank four more foul shots than the Pirates.

The Lancers knocked down seven shots from three-point territory, and hit 17 two-point baskets. They converted 10 of 14 attempts from the charity stripe (71 percent).     

The Pirates drained 17 shots inside the arc, and sank six bombs from three-point land. Bluffton converted six of 12 free throws (50 percent) from the charity stripe.  

Bluffton committed a dozen turnovers, while Lincolnview was guilty of nine errors.

L'view 65 (8-1, 2-0 NWC)
Richardson 0, Leeth 9 3-5 26, Overholt 4 3-4 11, Price 2 0-0 4, Hatfield 0, Bowersock 5 0-0 10, Jessee 4 4-5 14.
Totals: 17-7/10-14/65. 3-pointers: Leeth 5, Jessee 2.

Bluffton 58 (4-7, 1-3 NWC)
Donley 1 0-3 2, T. Shutler 4 0-0 8, Kinn 3 3-4 10, Boblitt 2 0-0 6, Schaadt 1 0-0 2, Soper 6 1-2 16, Essinger 6 2-3 14.
Totals: 17-6/6-12/58. 3-pointers: Soper 3, Boblitt 2, Kinn 1. 
 
    1    2    3    4    F
Lvw    13    18    15    19    65          
Blf    14    11    14    19    58