By Cort Reynolds

VAN BUREN__The visiting Bluffton High School girls basketball team led Van Buren by a point heading to the final quarter Thursday night.

But Black Knight freshman Brooklyn Wilkin scored 12 of her 22 points in the fourth period to lead VB on a 14-9 run and to a 37-33 win.

Bluffton dropped to 3-5 with the tough non-league defeat, while VB improved to 4-6 with the comeback victory.  

The Pirate girls led 10-7 after the first period, and they extended their margin to 19-14 at intermission. The Bluffton defense held VB to just six baskets in the first half.

Bluffton still clung to a 24-23 edge following the third quarter. But Wilkin netted five baskets and two foul shots in the final stanza to outscore the Pirates herself in the decisive quarter, 12-9.

Junior post Ayla Grandey led Bluffton with nine points as no Pirate hit double figures in the low-scoring contest. Blair Utendorf and Macy Schaadt added seven markers apiece.

Senior Anna Durliat added eight markers for VB. Only four Knights scored as Wilkin tallied all but 15 of their points.

The Pirate girls connected on 11 two-point goals and were limited to one trifecta. Bluffton converted eight of 11 at the charity stripe (73 percent).

The VB girls canned 14 two-point goals and made just one triple. 

The Black Knights converted six of their 12 free throws (50 percent).

Bluffton hosts Western Buckeye League foe Kenton (4-4) Thursday, December 28.

Bluffton 33 (3-5)

Hobensack 0 2-2 2, Cross 0 0-0 0, Fleece 0 2-2 2, Dearth 0 0-0 0, Schweingruber 1 0-0 2, Warren 1 0-0 2, Schaadt 2 2-2 7, Utendorf 3 1-2 7, Bassett 1 0-0 2, Grandey 3 3-3 9.  

Totals: 11-1/8-11/33. 3-pointers: Schaadt 1.

VB 37 (4-6)

Bowman 0 0-0 0, Hudok 1 0-0 3, Durliat 4 0-2 8, Wilkin 8 6-8 22, Ponn 2 0-2 4.

Totals: 14-1/6-12/37. 3-pointers:  Hudok 1.

1 2 3 4 F

Blf 10 9 5 9 33

VB 7 7 9 14 37