By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Host Bluffton rallied behind a big third period to defeat visiting Riverdale 47-35 in a non-league girls basketball game Saturday afternoon.

Trailing 17-15 at halftime in a defensive battle, Bluffton outscored the Lady Falcons 32-18 after intermission to win going away.

The Lady Pirates outscored the Falcons 17-3 in the momentum-changing third period. Sophomore Kylie Monday canned two three-pointers and scored eight points in the decisive quarter as the hosts pulled ahead 32-20.

Bluffton was able to maintain the 12-point margin throughout the final stanza to post the win.

Lady Pirate senior post Libby Schaadt scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the second half to also help lead the comeback. 

The win improved the Bluffton record to 12-4 overall. Riverdale fell to 5-8 with the defeat.

Pirate guard Laykin Garmatter netted eight of her 13 points in the first half. Monday tallied all nine of her points in the second half. Both players nailed two trifectas.

Danielle Searfoss was the lone Falcon in double figures with 10 points.

The Bluffton girls canned 17 baskets, including 12 two-pointers and five shots from three-point range. The Pirate girls converted eight of 15 from the charity stripe (53 percent).

The Falcon girls sank 15 field goals, 14 of which were from inside the arc. The hosts converted four of nine from the foul line (44 percent). 

Bluffton committed nine turnovers while Riverdale made eight errors. 

Riverdale 35 (5-8)
Howell 0, Rodriguez 1 0-0 3, Briedenbach 3 0-0 6, Searfoss 4 2-4 10, Roethlisberger 3 0-3 6, Sudlow 0 2-2 2, Vent 3 0-0 6, McKinnis 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 15/4-9/35. 3-pointers: Rodriguez 1.

Bluffton 47 (12-4)
Bischoff 0, B. Garmatter 1 0-0 2, L. Garmatter 4 3-4 13, White 2 0-0 5, Stackhouse 1 0-0 2, Monday 2 3-4 9, Schaadt 7 2-7 16.  
Totals: 17/8-15/47. 3-pointers: Monday 2, L. Garmatter 2, White 1.
 
    1    2    3    4    F
Rdal    11    6    3    15    35
Bluf    8    7    17    15    47    

Spencerville
Bluffton lost 39-31 at Spencerville this past Thursday evening to drop to 4-2 in Northwest Conference play. The Bearcats (9-6, 3-2 NWC) damaged the Pirate league title hopes with the minor upset.

Tied for second in the league standings with Paulding, Bluffton (8-2 home) hosts league-leader Columbus Grove (14-3, 5-0 NWC) in a key conference bout Thursday, January 30.

A Grove win would all but clinch the league title for CG with just two NWC games left against Allen East and Delphos Jefferson. The Lady Bulldogs already beat Spencerville 46-38 Jan. 16, and whipped Paulding 52-31 December 19.