By Cort Reynolds

HARROD__The visiting Bluffton High School girls basketball team raced to a big early lead and smothered backyard Northwest Conference rival Allen East 44-28 in their regular season finale showdown on Thursday, February 12.

Bluffton built a 13-3 lead after the first quarter as sophomore guard Maelee Miller poured in 10 early points, hitting two three-point goals. 

Steady Pirate senior Blair Utendorf then buried two triples in the second stanza despite AE closing within 21-14 at halftime.

The foes battled through a 9-8 third stanza as Miller nailed another trey to give the Pirates a 30-22 advantage heading to the final period.

Utendorf drilled yet another triple and scored five points in the fourth quarter, which Bluffton dominated by a 14-6 margin, and the Pirates won going away by 16.

Both rivals came into their annual league grudge match with identical 11-10 overall records. The foes often meet in the Pirate season-opening holiday tournament, but they did not play each other this past November after facing off in the title game the previous three years.

The Pirate girls improved to 12-10 overall and finished 4-3 in the NWC after the big road win, good for fifth place in the eight-team league standings.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Pirates vs. the rival Mustangs. The last Bluffton win over AE came in the 2022 holiday tourney championship game.

The Mustang girls fell to 11-11 overall, and they ended up 5-2 in NWC play with the home defeat.  

NWC RANKINGS

Columbus Grove (7-0 NWC) won the crown outright with a perfect league mark after beating sixth-place Delphos Jefferson 43-29 Thursday in their season finale. 

Spencerville, AE and Crestview finished in a three-way tie for second at 5-2 after the Knights defeated rival Lincolnview 50-38 Thursday.  

PLAYER STATS

Miller led all scorers with 15 points, while Utendorf netted 13 markers. Both Pirates knocked down three big trifectas.

Gracie Warren contributed six points, and Greta Myers tallied five. Senior Macy Schaadt added three points. 

Brooklynn Crumrine topped the Mustangs with 11 points. 

Mustang junior sharpshooter Evelyn Lehman was held to six points, 11 below her average. Rylie Jordan also added six markers. Lehman and Crumrine each drilled a triple.

Bluffton canned 11 deuces and splashed six triples. The Pirates converted four of their nine free throws (44 percent).  

The Mustangs connected on eight two-point goals and nailed a pair of treys. AE sank six of 11 free throws (55 percent). 

The Mustang girls went 9-7 after enduring a rare early-season head coaching change. Aaron Montgomery resigned after leading AE to a 70-31 record over four-plus seasons at the helm of the Mustangs. 

James Richardson replaced him as acting head coach six games into the campaign.

Bluffton was seeded fifth in the tough eight-team Div. V Northwest District 2 sectional. 

UP NEXT

The Pirate girls will play at third seed Archbold (17-5) on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. in one sectional final. 

The Blue Streaks lost to Northwest Ohio Athletic League champion Patrick Henry 59-40 Thursday night to finish third at 5-2.

With a win, the Pirates would advance to the district semifinals in Defiance against the survivor between fourth seed Paulding (20-2) and second seed Delta (17-4, 6-1 NOAL) on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

The Pirates are 6-4 on the road, and finished 6-6 at home this season.