By Cort Reynolds

CAREY__The visiting Bluffton High School boys basketball team dominated non-league foe Carey 67-36 Wednesday night, December 20.

The Pirates improved to 4-1 with the decisive road win.

Carey dropped to 4-3 after the loss.   

The Pirates led 17-9 after the opening stanza on the strength of five three-point goals. Junior guard Marek Donaldson nailed two of his five trifectas in the first quarter.

Blake Sommers also drained two treys in the first period en route to eight early points. Landen Worcester drilled the other three.

Bluffton extended its lead to 32-19 at halftime. Six Pirates scored in the 15-10 second stanza. 

The Pirates then blew the game open for good in the third quarter. Donaldson splashed two more triples and tallied eight points in the 20-8 quarter. Terron Boblitt added a trifecta in the stanza.

Bluffton won the final period 15-9 as Donaldson drilled his fifth trey, and six Pirates scored. 

Donaldson led all players with 17 points. Blake Sommers tallied 14 markers. Wade Ginther added eight points as a total of 10 Pirates scored.

Boblitt, Worcester and Kerry Wright contributed five points apiece. Branson Hilty and John-Paul Yoder each added four. 

Senior Alexander Putnam led Carey with eight points. Classmate Dominic Yeater added seven markers.

The Pirates canned 17 deuces, and splashed nine treys. Bluffton converted six of its 11 free throws (55 percent).

The Blue Devils knocked down 11 two-point goal attempts and drained three trifectas. They made just five of 13 foul shots (38 percent). 

Carey committed seven turnovers, while Bluffton was guilty of a mere four miscues. 

1 2 3 4 F

Blf 17 15 20 15 67

Car 9 10 8 9 36

Bluffton 67 (4-1)

B. Ginther 1 0-0 2, Donaldson 6 0-2 17, W. Ginther 3 2-2 8, Blk. Sommers 6 0-0 14, Bro. Sommers 1 1-2 3, Boblitt 2 0-0 5, Hilty 2 0-1 4, Worcester 2 0-0 5, Wright 2 1-2 5, Yoder 1 2-2 4.

Totals: 17-9/6-11/67. 3-pointers: Donaldson 5, Blk. Sommers 2, Boblitt 1, Worcester 1.

Carey 36 (4-3)

Smiley 0 1-2 1, Putnam 2 4-6 8, K. Boes 2 0-2 5, Kim 2 0-1 5, Niederkohr 3 0-0 6, Yeater 3 0-0 7, M. Boes 2 0-0 4.

Totals: 11-3/5-13/36. 3-pointers:  K. Boes 1, Yeater 1, Kim 1.

The Pirates host their annual holiday tournament December 29-30.

Bluffton‘s game at non-league foe McComb last Saturday was postponed.