The Bluffton girls basketball team held off a late rally to defeat backyard rival Allen East 55-52 in an exciting championship game at the annual Lewis Family McDonald's Holiday tournament late Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Mustangs had a last-gasp chance to tie it on a left wing three-pointer in the final seconds. The shot by senior Kennedy Truex was on line but came up just short to preserve the three-point Pirate win.
The Pirate girls improved to 2-0 with the hard-fought win. AE fell to 1-1 with the difficult defeat.
Tournament host Bluffton High School girls basketball team toppled Arlington 59-43 in the semifinals of the annual Lewis Family McDonald's Holiday event Friday night, November 18.
The Pirates jumped to a 14-6 lead after the first period, but the Red Devils cut the margin to 31-25 at intermission.
Arlington's Brooklyn Smith scored 11 of her game-high 23 points in the second stanza to keep the visitors close.
Bluffton held a 40-34 lead going into the fourth period after a 9-9 third stanza.
The Pirates then sank 12 of 17 free throws in the final quarter to win it 19-9 and cruise to victory by 16 points.
Better-balanced Bluffton placed four players in double figures, compared to one by Arlington.
The Bluffton University football team capped off year one of Head Coach Matt Nardo's tenure with nine All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honorees for 2022. The Beavers placed five on the second team and had four earn honorable mention All-HCAC.
Fifth-year senior Keith Holmes Jr. (Toledo/St. Francis DeSales) nailed down his third straight post-season honor.
Junior stalwart Markus Finley (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) bullied opposing defenses en route to his third straight Second Team All-Heartland Conference award.
The Bluffton girls basketball team tips off its 2022-23 season by hosting the annual Lewis Family McDonald's Holiday tournament this Friday and Saturday.
The Lady Pirates will play Arlington in the second semifinal Friday at approximately 7:30 p.m., or 15 minutes after the first semifinal game.
Allen East will face off against Cory-Rawson in the first semi Friday at 6 p.m.
Women’s basketball opener
On Saturday, November 12, the Bluffton University women's basketball team scored early and often in a season-opening 77-36 home win over Wooster that wasn't even that close. Bluffton stands 1-0, while Wooster is 0-2 on the young season.
The Bluffton University men's soccer team capped off a record-setting 2022 campaign with two First Team All-Heartland Conference selections and one player named Honorable Mention All-HCAC. Dalton Taynor (Troy/Miami East) and Angel Velasco-Urbina (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay) are the first honorees named first team from Bluffton since 2009. It is just the third time since Bluffton joined the Heartland in 1999 that the Beavers have been accorded with multiple first team selections. Junior Elijah Zimmerman (Archbold) picked up his second consecutive Honorable Mention All-HCAC plaque.
