By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School boys basketball team authored a big second-half rally but came up short 64-57 to visiting Northwest Conference rival Lima Central Catholic on Friday, January 16.

The Pirates trailed by 13 at halftime, but rallied within five points heading into the final stanza. 

The Pirates closed the gap to two points late in the game at 59-57, but got no closer.

The Thunderbirds took the fourth quarter 12-10, scoring the game’s last five points to win by a misleading seven-point margin. 

T-Bird Jordan Priddy led all scorers with 30 points on 13 baskets, including four triples. Bluffton won the second half, 30-24.

The Pirates fell to 4-8 overall and 0-3 in the NWC after the defeat. 

Lima Central Catholic improved to 8-5 overall and 3-1 in NWC play with the road win.

After a 7-2 start, the Pirates stalled for 2.5 minutes. LCC led 18-12 after the first period as three players scored six points apiece.

Pirate senior Kain Wright sprained his ankle and missed most of the game after scoring six first-quarter points.

LCC pulled ahead 32-16 behind Priddy’s 12-point period. But a 7-0 Pirate run cut the lead to 32-23 with about 3:25 left in the second period, capped by an Owen Scoles transition layup. Yet the T-Birds answered with a 6-0 spurt.

Scoles scored inside off a Bean Ginther steal and assist to stop the LCC flurry.

Priddy drove and scored his 18^th point of the first half. Ginther sank a 14-footer just before the second period horn to pull the Pirates within 40-27 at intermission. LCC nailed six triples in the first half. 

Lane Ginther scored right off the bat to start half two to start the Pirate comeback effort. A long Bean Ginther trey cut the deficit to 42-32. Another Bean Ginther triple-sliced the deficit to seven.

LCC committed four early turnovers in the third as the Pirates rallied. Robby Taylor canned another trifecta to pull within 42-38 midway through the third stanza. 

After a T-Bird basket, Bluffton freshman guard Brody Donley nailed an 18-footer.

Priddy scored to make it 46-40. Two Scoles' foul shots inched the Pirates within four. Priddy rattled in a triple from the top to provide a 49-42 lead. But Donley answered with his own trey from just beyond the top of the key.

Priddy rolled in a driving shot to make it 52-45 with 20 seconds left in the third quarter. Bean Ginther sank a lane floater just before the period elapsed to inch back within five. The shot ended a 20-12 third stanza in favor of Bluffton.

Priddy nailed a 17-footer to open the fourth quarter. LCC post Dom McKee then made a layup off an in-bounds pass to stretch the lead to nine.

But Pirate Parker Lovell nailed a key trey to cut it to 56-50 with 6:15 remaining. Lane Ginther hit a foul line pull-up shot. Robby Taylor knocked the ball out of bounds off a T-Bird for a turnover.

Jackson White stole the ball, but Taylor blocked his drive with 5:22 left. A missed triple led to a Priddy drive, yet he lost the ball out of bounds. 

Priddy knocked down a triple, but Lovell answered with his own trey to cut it to 59-55 with 2:13 left. After a T-Bird miss, Taylor canned a stickback basket to inch within 59-57 with 1:22 to go.

T-Bird Brady Parker scored inside off a head fake to restore the lead to four. A Pirate miss with 31 seconds left led to a T-Bird rebound and an LCC timeout.

Parker was fouled and canned one of two foul shots for a 62-57 lead. The Pirates missed a three and Parker was fouled again with 14 ticks left. He sank both free throws to build the lead to seven.

LCC blocked a final Pirate shot, rebounded and time expired.

Senior Bean Ginther topped the Pirates with 16 points, scoring eight in each half. Lovell netted 10 markers and Taylor added eight. Donley tallied seven points, while Wright and Scoles added six apiece.

McKee contributed 10 markers to support Priddy. Mack added nine on three treys. Parker scored the last five points to end up with seven.

LCC committed eight of their 11 turnovers in the second half. Bluffton made eight miscues.

The Pirates connected on 15 two-point goals and buried seven triples. Bluffton converted six of eight shots at the charity stripe (75 percent). 

LCC sank 17 deuces, knocked down eight trifectas and canned six of 11 foul shots (55 percent).

UP NEXT
The Pirates visit tough league foe Lincolnview (11-2, 3-0 NWC) on Friday, Jan. 23. The Lancers won at Columbus Grove Friday, 61-56.
 

Bluffton 57 (4-8, 0-3 NWC)
Lovell 4 0-2 10, B. Ginther 5 4-4 16, L. Ginther 2 0-0 4, Wright 3 0-0 6, Taylor 3-0-0 8, Donley 3 0-0 7, Scoles 2 2-2 6. 

Totals: 15-7/6-8/51. 3-pointers: Lovell 2, Taylor 2, B. Ginther 2, Donley 1.
LCC 64 (8-5, 3-1 NWC)

Priddy 13 0-0 30, Mack 3 0-0 9, McKee 5 0-2 10, Purnell 2 1-2 5, Stolly 0, Parker 1 5-6 7, White 1 0-0 3.
Totals: 17-8/6-11/64. 3-pointers: Mack 3, Priddy 4, White 1.