By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School girls basketball team lost to visiting Spencerville 53-47 in a Northwest Conference matchup Thursday evening, January 26.

Bluffton fell to 12-7 overall and 2-5 in the NWC with the defeat. The Bearcat girls improved to 9-10 overall and 2-4 in the NWC following the upset win.

Spencerville moved into seventh place in the league with the road win, while Bluffton fell to eighth.

The Bearcats led 13-10 after the opening stanza as Heidi Keller scored seven points. Pirate post Ayla Grandey drained two triples in the first quarter.

The visitors maintained a 24-22 edge at halftime. Kirsten Wurst tallied seven of her game-high 16 points in the quarter to offset two triples by Bluffton guard Riley Eachus.

The Bearcats extended their lead to 36-31 after three periods of play. In the final quarter, Spencerville sank seven of nine free throws to win by six.

Eachus and Kendal Giesige each canned a pair of triples in the fourth period to spearhead a Pirate comeback effort.

Grandey led Bluffton with 14 points.

Eachus tallied 13 points on the strength of four treys. Sami Scoles netted 11 markers, and Giesige added nine points on three trifectas.

Gabi Croft scored seven of her 15 points in the final period for Spencerville. Keller ended up with 13 markers after her hot start. She also netted six big points in the final stanza.

The Pirates canned 17 shots from the field, hitting seven deuces and 10 shots from three-point land.

Bluffton converted three of four free throw attempts (75 percent). 

Spencerville sank 18 field goal tries, making 14 two-pointers and hitting four triples. 

The Bearcats converted 13 of their 16 foul shots (81 percent).  

Bluffton 47 (12-7, 1-5 NWC)

Mehaffie 0 0-0 0, Fleece 0 0-0 0, Eachus 4 1-2 13, Schweingruber 0, Giesige 3 0-0 9, Scoles 4 2-2 11, Grothause 0 0-0 0, Grandey 6 0-0 14, Utendorf 0 0-0 0. 

Totals: 7-10/3-4/47. 3-pointers: Eachus 4, Giesige 3, Grandey 2, Scoles 1.

S'ville 53 (9-10, 2-4 NWC) 

Goecke 0, Muniz 3 0-0 7, Wurst 3 8-9 16, Croft 6 3-5 15, Lemar 1 0-0 2, Keller 5 2-2 13.

Totals: 14-4/13-16/53. 3-pointers: Wurst 2, Keller 1, Muniz 1.

1 2 3 4 F

Svl 13 11 12 17 53

Bluf 10 12 9 16 47

Bluffton fell to 9-2 at home with the defeat. The Pirates play at league rival Columbus Grove (11-7, 3-3 NWC) Thursday, February 2. They then visit non-league Miller City (9-8) Saturday, Feb. 4.

The home and regular season finale is Feb. 9 vs. Allen East.