By Cort Reynolds

VAN BUREN–The visiting Bluffton High School girls basketball team rode big first and fourth quarters to defeat scrappy Van Buren 51-40 in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, December 16. 

The Pirate girls jumped to a 17-8 lead after the first quarter by hitting three three-point goals. VB inched within 25-19 at the intermission break.

The Black Knights tallied their second straight 11-8 stanza in the third period to further cut their deficit to 33-30 heading into the final quarter. 

But the Pirates regrouped to pour in 18 big fourth-quarter points, winning the final period by eight to take the game going away by 11 points.  

Bluffton outscored VB by a combined 35-18 in the decisive first and third quarters.

The Pirates improved to 5-2 overall after the non-league road victory. VB fell to 3-5 with the loss.

Bluffton senior Blair Utendorf scored seven of her 11 points in the fourth period to lead the Pirates to victory. 

Junior guard Maelee Miller tallied six of her 10 markers in the opening stanza to help shoot the Pirates to an early nine-point lead.

Pirate Avery Hobensack also netted 10 points on the strength of three treys. Ellie Bogart nailed a triple in the first stanza to go with two trifectas by Hobensack.

Macy Schaadt scored seven points, and Lauren Dearth added four. Gracie Warren and junior Greta Meyers each hit three foul shots. 

Knight junior Brooklyn Wilkin led VB with 12 points. Freshman Brittyn Wilkin added eight markers.

Bluffton connected on 12 two-point goals and splashed four triples. The Pirate girls converted 15 of their 28 free throw tries (54 percent).

The Knight girls sank 11 two-pointers and nailed a pair of trifectas. VB canned 12 of 21 foul shots (57 percent).

The Pirates play host to WBL foe Kenton (3-3) and high-scoring Sidney Payne on Saturday, Dec. 20.

◾️