By Cort Reynolds

LIMA–The Bluffton High School boys basketball team had its season ended by top seed Ottawa-Glandorf 63-42 in the Div. III district semifinals at Lima Senior Wednesday evening, March 1.

Bluffton ended its solid season 16-9 after the defeat. Top seed O-G improved to 21-3 with the win, and advances to the district finals vs. Spencerville (21-2).

The second-seeded Bearcats defeated three seed Liberty-Benton 44-39 in the second district semifinal Wednesday night at Lima Senior.

O-G shot extremely well overall from the field and from beyond the arc with 10 three-pointers to eliminate Bluffton.

The Pirates hung close early, trailing just 12-9 after the first period. Terron Boblitt sank a triple to help keep the Pirates in striking distance. Titans Caden Erford and Colin White each canned a trey and a deuce in the opening stanza.

Live-ball turnovers hurt Bluffton in the second stanza as pressuring O-G converted them into transition scores. Titan Hunter Stechschulte hit a triple and a two-pointer as the Ottawans won the key quarter, 16-8. 

O-G took a 28-17 lead into halftime. The Pirates committed seven turnovers in the first half.

Midway through the third period, Boblitt drilled a three-pointer and a half hook in succession to inch Bluffton within 38-25.

Titan White answered by drilling a corner triple to build the lead to 16. Pirate post John-Paul Yoder sank two foul shots and a basket in the third stanza. 

Carson Soper nailed a triple early in the third quarter. He later drew the defense on dribble penetration and kicked out to an open Donaldson, who swished a right wing triple to inch Bluffton within 47-32 with 2:13 left in the quarter.

White made a nice backdoor cut, took a good bounce pass from Stechschulte and swished a left baseline 14-footer with a minute to go in the period.

The Pirates did not score again in the stanza as O-G lengthened its lead to 49-32 after 24 minutes. White canned two triples in the third period and scored eight points. Levi Unterbrink nailed two trifectas as well in the quarter. 

Grant Schroeder added a trey and seven points as the Titans outscored the Pirates 21-15 to widen their lead to 17 points heading to the final stanza. O-G nailed five big treys in the third period.

Titan Theo Maag spun into the lane and sank a nice banker to open the fourth quarter.

Pirate Wade Ginther drove and banked in a one-footed runner from the left side while being fouled. He completed the conventional three-point play to cut the deficit to 51-35. 

Donaldson made a nice head fake and finished a short glasser off the right baseline. Soper came off a back screen and sank a layup off a solid Ginther post feed.

Yet White answered by draining another triple to put the Titans ahead, 60-39.

Senior Soper responded by nailing a trifecta for his last basket and the final points of the Pirate season with 3:15 remaining.

O-G executed a delay offense well, and Maag threw down a two-handed dunk off the left baseline to finish the scoring with 1:22 left. The slam gave him seven points, all in the final quarter.

Soper was the only Pirate in double figures with 10 points. Boblitt and Donaldson each added eight markers. Ginther and Yoder chipped in with six points apiece.

Junior White led all players with 20 markers. On the strength of four three-point goals. Senior Unterbrink and junior Erford each netted 10 markers. Schroeder tallied nine points. Maag and Stechschulte added seven points apiece.

Bluffton canned 15 of 41 field shots (37 percent). The Pirates converted six of seven free throws (86 percent), and drained a solid six of 15 beyond the arc (40 percent).

O-G canned a sizzling 26 of 46 from the floor (57 percent). The Titans were also hot from deep as they drilled 10 of 18 from three-point land (56 percent).

O-G made just one of its three free throws (33 percent). The Titans outscored Bluffton 37-23 over the middle quarters.

The Titans out-rebounded the Pirates, 23-17. Bluffton ended up with only nine turnovers, while the Titans made just six miscues.

It was the final Pirate game for lone senior Soper. 

O-G 63 (21-3)

Schroeder 4 0-1 9, B. Maag 0 0-0 0, T. Maag 3 1-2 7, Unterbrink 4 0-0 10, Stechschulte 3 0-0 7, White 8 0-0 20, Erford 4 0-0 10.

Totals: 26-46/1-3/63. 3-pointers (10-18):  White 4, Unterbrink 2, Erford 2, Schroeder 1, Stechschulte 1.

Bluffton 42 (16-9)

Donaldson 3 0-0 8, L. Ginther 0 0-0 0, Soper 4 0-0 10, W. Ginther 1 4-5 6, Worcester 1 0-0 2, Boblitt 3 0-0 8, Yoder 2 2-2 6, Hilty 1 0-0 2, Wright 0 0-0 0. 

Totals: 15-41/6-7/42. 3-pointers (6-15): Donaldson 2, Boblitt 2, Soper 2.   

1 2 3 4 F

O-G 12 16 21 14 63

Bluf 9 8 15 10 42