By Cort Reynolds

CONVOY–The Bluffton High School girls basketball team lost 55-32 to Crestview in a Northwest Conference contest Thursday night, January 5.

Bluffton dropped to 7-4 overall and 1-2 in the NWC with the lopsided road loss. The Lady Knights improved to 7-3 and 3-1 in NWC action after the convincing win.

Crestview junior Cali Gregory scored her 1,000th career point in the win, and she ended up with a game-high 21 points.

She came in with 997 points and surpassed 1,000 with 50 seconds left in the first quarter. Her steal and basket late in the opening period broke a tie and gave Crestview a 10-8 lead after one stanza it would not relinquish.

The Knights tallied the first 11 points of the second quarter to grab a 24-13 intermission cushion. Cold-shooting Bluffton canned just three baskets in the opening half.

The Knights won the third quarter 14-10 to extend their advantage to 38-23 heading into the fourth period.

Bluffton was outscored 17-9 in the final quarter.

Senior southpaw guard Sami Scoles led Bluffton with 14 points.

Kendal Giesige netted seven points and Ayla Grandey added six. 

Laci McCoy added 14 points in support of Gregory.

Crestview shot 48 percent from the field (25 of 52) while Bluffton canned 27 percent (nine for 33) of its shots from the field. 

From three-point land, the Knights connected on 24 percent (four of 17), while the Pirates sank 13 percent (one of eight). Crestview shot only two free throws, making one. 

Bluffton converted 13 of its 21 free throws (62 percent).

The Pirates lost the rebound battle, 24-19. The Pirates made 14 turnovers compared to five by the hosts.

Bluffton 32 (7-4, 1-2 NWC)

Eachus 0-3 0-0 0, Giesige 1-8 5-7 7, Scoles 4-10 6-9 14, Mehaffie 2-4 0-2 5, Grandey 2-4 2-4 6, Cross 0-1 0-0 0, Fleece 0-2 0-0 0, Schweingruber 0-0 0-0 0, Schaadt 0-0 0-1 0, Grothause 0-1 0-0 0, Utendorf 0-0 0-0 0. 

Totals 9-33/13-21/32. 3-pointers (1-8): Mehaffie 1.

Crestview 55 (7-3, 3-1 NWC) 

Kulwicki 1-4 0-0 2, Kline 2-4 0-0 5, Gregory 10-19 0-0 21,  McCoy 6-11 0-0 14, Kulwicki 4-6 1-2 9, Ross 0-2 0-0 0, Owsley 0-2 0-0 0, Crider 2-4 0-0 4, McCoy 0-0 0-0 0. 

Totals 25-52/1-2/55. 3-pointers (4-17): Kulwicki 2, Gregory 1, McCoy 1.

1 2 3 4 F

Cvw 10 14 14 17 55

Bluf 8 5 10 9 32

Bluffton will host Paulding (1-9) Saturday afternoon, January 7. The Pirates then visit WBL rival Elida (6-6) Tuesday, Jan. 10.