By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__The well-balanced Bluffton High School girls basketball team authored a 61-39 blowout victory over visiting Riverdale in a non-conference match on Saturday, January 24.

Four Pirate girls scored in double figures to pave the way to a lopsided victory.

Lauren Dearth pumped in two treys and eight points to help shoot Bluffton to an 18-5 lead after the first quarter, and the Pirates were never threatened. 

Pirate Gracie Warren also tallied seven early points in the opening stanza to help the hosts build a 13-point cushion.

Bluffton surged ahead 35-19 at halftime as Maelee Miller tallied five second-period points and Dearth nailed another triple.  

Pirate Greta Myers sank six of seven foul shots in the third stanza to help Bluffton double up Riverdale 54-27 heading to the fourth quarter.  

The Pirate girls improved to 11-8 overall after the home win.

Riverdale dropped to 8-6 overall with the road defeat.

Warren led all players with 15 points, and she drilled one trey.

Dearth contributed 12 points on the strength of three trifectas. Miller and Myers each netted 11 markers. Avery Hobensack added six points and one triple. 

Speedy Marissa Bonham led the Falcons with 13 points. Six of those came in the fourth quarter, which the visitors won by a 12-7 margin to cut the final deficit to 22.

Kenzie Furr added eight points for Riverdale.

Bluffton canned 15 deuces and buried five triples. The Pirates converted 16 of their 24 free throws (67 percent). Bluffton took 17 more foul shots than the Falcons, and they outscored the visitors by 11 points from the charity stripe.

The Pirates also out-pointed Riverdale 15-6 from beyond the arc.

The Falcons connected on 14 two-point goals and knocked down two treys. Riverdale sank five of seven free throws (71 percent).

UP NEXT
The Pirate girls (3-1 NWC) play at second-place league rival Spencerville (11-6, 4-1 NWC) on Thursday, Jan. 29 in a key game for the league standings.

Columbus Grove leads the Northwest Conference standings at 5-0, followed by Spencerville (4-1) and Crestview at 4-2. Bluffton is third at 3-1. Allen East sits in fifth place at 2-2.