Donley hits season-high 24 points, Pirates face Coldwater Friday

By Cort Reynolds

TOLEDO__The visiting Bluffton High School boys basketball team exploded for a big second half to pull away and decisively defeat Ottawa Hills 64-37 in Div. V Northwest 2 sectional final play on Friday, February 27.

The first half was low-scoring, with the Pirates ahead 21-15 at intermission. A 19-9 Bluffton third period extended their lead to 40-24 heading to the final period.

The Pirates then poured in 24 points in the fourth quarter as four players scored between four and seven points apiece.

Bluffton outscored OH 43-22 in the second half, including 24-13 in the fourth period, to win going away by 27.

The Pirates improved to 10-13 with the sectional tournament title win that helped salvage a frustrating regular season.

The fourth-seeded Green Bears end up 13-10 after suffering a home blowout defeat.

Pirate freshman guard Brody Donley poured in a season-high 24 points by hitting nine baskets, including four triples. Donley tallied seven points in each of the last two periods and hit one triple in each stanza.

Parker Lovell pumped in 15 of his 18 points in the second half.

Bean Ginther contributed 10 markers, and Robby Taylor added six markers. Owen Scoles chipped in with four points.

Hanusz led OH with 11 points.

Bluffton led 13-4 after the first period. The Pirates hit two trifectas in the first and second quarters to maintain a six-point lead at intermission after OH won the second stanza, 11-8.

The Pirates canned 17 two-pointers and drained seven triples. Bluffton converted nine of 11 foul shots (82 percent).

OH sank nine deuces and knocked down six treys. The Green Bears canned just one of four free throws (25 percent).

In the district semifinals, the Pirates will face Coldwater (11-12), who knocked off third seed Archbold 59-43 on Friday. The semifinal bout is at Napoleon on Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m.

Castalia Margaretta (20-3) is the top remaining seed in the sectional. They crushed Milan Edison 86-42 on Friday. CM faces sixth-seed Huron in the other district semifinal on March 3.

The district finals are Friday, March 6, at Kansas Lakota.