Playing in Harrod, the Bluffton High School girls basketball team defeated local rival Allen East 48-42 in their Northwest Conference finale showdown Thursday night, February 10.

The Lady Pirates improved to 15-6 overall after the victory. Bluffton finished in a tie for fifth place in the NWC at 4-4 with Leipsic. 

AE fell to 11-10 and 2-6 in the NWC (seventh) with the defeat.

Delphos Jefferson captured the league crown outright at 8-0 after beating Columbus Grove 65-49 Thursday night. Grove and Crestview tied for second at 6-2, followed by Spencerville (5-3).

The Pirates jumped out to a 20-10 lead over AE after the first period, and held the lead the rest of the way.

The teams battled to a 9-9 tie in the second quarter to keep Bluffton ahead 29-19 at halftime.

AE inched within 39-33 with a 14-0 third period run.

The rivals played to another 9-9 tie in the final stanza as the Pirates maintained the six-point margin to the final buzzer.

Senior Kylie Stackhouse scored 13 points and nailed two triples to pace the Pirates. Freshman post Ayla Grandey tallied 12 points on six of seven shooting, and she pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. 

Senior point guard Sami Scoles netted nine points on seven of nine foul shooting. Pirate senior Kylie Monday contributed seven markers, six boards, four assists and two steals. Riley Eachus added six points and a pair of steals.

Mustang sophomore Savana Brooks led all players with 19 points. Brooks also grabbed four caroms and came up with three steals.

Kennedy Truex added eight markers. Elle Richardson snared eight rebounds and made two steals. Rilynn Jones contributed five points and three assists.

Bluffton hit 16 baskets in 31 attempts (52 percent), sinking 13 of 22 two-pointers (59 percent) and three of nine treys (33 percent). The Pirates sank 13 of 24 free tosses (54 percent).

AE nailed 14 baskets in 45 shots (31 percent), including 10 of 27 deuces (37 percent)and four of 18 triples (22 percent). The Mustangs canned 10 of 15 foul shots ( 67 percent).

Bluffton out-rebounded AE, 28-23.The Pirates committed 16 turnovers to 14 miscues by the Mustangs. Bluffton scored more transition points, 7-2. They also tallied more points in the lane, 26-10.

Bluffton swept the series from scrappy AE, having also beaten the Mustangs 56-51 in the season-opening holiday tournament finals.

Allen Eeast 42 (11-10, 2-6 NWC)

Brinkman 0-1 0-0 0, Helser 0, Truex 2-11 4-6 8, Brooks 6-10 5-6 19, Jones 2-14 0-0 5, Young 1-1 1-1 3, Miller 0, Richardson 2-5 0-2 5, Rodriguez 1-2 0-0 2, Nickles 0-1 0-0 0.

Totals: 14-45/10-15/42. 3-pointers (4-18): Brooks 2-6, Jones 1-5, Richardson 1-3, Truex 0-3, Brinkman 0-1.

Bluffton 48 (15-6, 4-4 NWC)

Busch 0-2 1-2 1, Eachus 2-5 1-2 6, Monday 2-4 3-5 7, Scoles 1-5 7-9 9, Grandey 6-7 0-0 12, Stackhouse 5-7 1-6 13, Giesige 0-1 0-0 0, Fleece 0.

Totals: 16-31/13-24/48. 3-pointers (3-9): Stackhouse 2-3, Eachus 1-2, Scoles 0-2, Giesige 0-1, Monday 0-1.

1 2 3 4 F

AE 10 9 14 9 42

Blu 20 9 10 9 48

The Bluffton girls basketball team was seeded fourth at the 14-team Div. IV Van Wert district meeting.

The Lady Pirates will face 14th seed Continental at Bluffton University Thursday, February 17 at 5:30 p.m.

The winner will face the victor between fifth seed Kalida and 13th seed Fort Jennings Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. on the BU campus. 

The victor advances to the Van Wert district semifinals Feb. 24.