By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton girls basketball team raced to a big early lead and convincingly defeated North Baltimore 50-33 in non-conference action Tuesday night.
The Lady Pirates jumped to a 20-6 first period lead and held a 30-18 cushion at intermission. They extended the margin to 39-22 after three periods and cruised to the victory.
Bluffton improved its record to 4-3 overall with the win. The Tiger girls dropped to 3-2 with the defeat.
By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Visiting Bluffton finished the game on a 17-5 run to avoid an upset bid by winless local rival Ada and pull out a 55-52 victory in the Northwest Conference boys basketball opener.
The Bulldogs led 47-38 with under six minutes remaining to play after junior Cayden Murphy followed up a miss inside for a basket.
But then the Pirates began pounding the ball inside to reel off an 11-0 flurry and take a 49-47 lead.
The Bluffton Swim Club open its season with two wins this month.
Dec. 2 with Lima Senior and Toledo Whitmer
The following student athletes competed for the Bluffton Swim Club; seniors Simon Derstine and Ellie Hoffman, junior Malia Lee, sophmores Landon Armstrong, Sam Derstine, Allison Diller, Nolan Hoffman, CJ McCall, Eric Nygaard and Riley Verb, and freshmen Ella Armstrong, Tyler Cupples, Jacob Lehman and Izzy Stechschulte.
Landon Armstrong won all three of his events which included the boys 200 meter freestyle with a time of 2:18:75.
Story by Cort Reynolds
Photos by Marvin Foster
BLUFFTON - The balanced Bluffton girls basketball team rode a huge second period to a 64-28 victory over visiting local rival Ada in Northwest Conference action Thursday night.
The Lady Bulldogs trailed just 10-7 after the first period. But then the Lady Pirates blew it open with a 23-8 second stanza as seven players scored.
Bluffton then extended its lead to 31 points at 53-22 with a 20-7 third quarter.
Icon sports writer Cort Reynolds has one of his NBA stories posted on the Basketball Intelligence national website.
His article recounting the second NBA 1 on 1 tournament in 1973 and its epic, Marathon championship game between an all-star and a career backup from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton boys basketball team raced to a big halftime lead and held off Liberty-Benton 79-67 to win their home opener Saturday night.
The Pirates led a high-scoring first half 49-33 at intermission as Carson Soper poured in 19 points on the strength of four three-pointers.
Trenton Donley also knocked down two triples in the opening stanza as the hot-shooting Pirates built a 27-11 lead. Donley added another triple in the second period, while Trey Boblitt also drained three trifectas before intermission.
