By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School girls basketball team lost 66-42 to visiting traditional power Ottoville Saturday afternoon, December 9.

Ottoville outscored the Pirate girls 36-16 over the middle quarters to pave the way to victory. 

The Big Green improved to 5-1 with the win, while the Pirate girls dropped to 2-3 after the loss.

“Ottoville is a very good team, and plays very fast and aggressive,” said  Pirate coach Adam Burris. “I thought for a quarter and a half we hung with them, then they made a run to finish the first half.”

Bluffton trailed just 17-11 after the first period. But a 16-8 second quarter propelled the visitors to a 33-19 intermission advantage. 

“They had another run early in the third quarter, and we just couldn’t answer their runs, unfortunately,” Burris recalled.  

Jocelyn Langhals poured in nine third-period points to shoot the Green to an insurmountable 53-27 cushion.

Bluffton outscored Ottoville 15-13 in the fourth period as five Pirates scored.

The balanced visitors placed four players in double figures.

Langhals scored 17 points to pace the Green. Isabella Furley splashed three first quarter triples and ended up with 12 points. 

Erica Thorbahn netted 11 markers, and Brooklyn Koester added 10 points.

Aylan Grandey led Bluffton with 12 points. Blair Utendorf notched 11 markers.

“Hats off to Ottoville, and I am glad our girls never quit and kept fighting until the end,” said Burris. 

Ottoville sank 18 two-point goals and drained six triples. The Green converted 12 of 14 foul shots (86 percent).

Bluffton canned 13 deuces and made two shots beyond the arc. The Pirates sank 10 of 16 at the charity stripe (63 percent).

Bluffton 42 (2-3)

Burkholder 0, Cross 3 2-4 8, Fleece 0 , Dearth 1 0-0 2, Schweingruber 1 0-0 3, Warren 1 0-0 2, Schaadt 1 1-2 4, Utendorf 3 5-7 11, Bassett 0, Grandey  5 2-3 12.

Totals: 13-2/10-16/42. 3-pointers: Schweingruber 1, Schaadt 1.

O-G 66 (5-1)

Koester 4 2-2 10, E. Thorbahn 5 4-5 11. Langhals 7 2-2 17, C. Thorbahn 3 0-0 7, Schnipke 1 4-4 6, Honigford 1 0-0 3, Furley 4 1-2 12. 

Totals: 18-6/12-14/66. 3-pointers: Furley 3, Honigford 1, Langhals 1, C. Thorbahn 1.

1 2 3 4 F

Blf 11 8 8 15 42

Ovl 17 16 20 13 66