BLUFFTON – The Bluffton High School girls basketball team used a big second quarter to upset visiting Northwest Conference rival Allen East 49-44 on Tuesday, January 28.
The Pirates outscored the Mustang girls 31-17 over the middle quarters to pave the way to the victory. Bluffton won the second stanza 16-5 to seize control.
Bluffton improved to 11-8 overall and 3-2 in the NWC after the victory.
Meanwhile, AE fell to 15-4 overall and 2-3 in the NWC with the defeat.
The Mustangs led the Pirates 9-8 after the first quarter. But the big second period boosted the hosts to a 24-14 halftime lead.
Bluffton consolidated the lead with a 15-12 third quarter that extended the margin to 39-26 heading to the final period.
AE made a desperation comeback bid by scoring 18 fourth quarter points, but came up five points short.
UPPER SANDUSKY – The Bluffton High School swim teams competed well in a five-team meet at Upper Sandusky on Saturday, January 25.
Lexington swept to first in the combined standings, as well as the boys and girls team races. The host Rams were second in the overall standings.
Bluffton finished third overall. The Pirate girls came in second, and took third in boys.
Ada ended up fourth in all three standings.
Bluffton’s Aaron Ungashick won the boys 200-yard individual medley.
Junior Jackson Bowlus touched first in the boys 50 freestyle.
Pirate Jenna Downey also captured first in the girls 50 free.
PANDORA – The visiting Bluffton High School boys basketball team decisively defeated non-conference rival Pandora-Gilboa 70-44 on Saturday, January 25.
The Pirates bombed their way to a 23-6 lead after the first period behind five three-point goals, and were never behind.
Guard Marek Donaldson nailed four first half triples as the victorious visitors built a 32-17 halftime lead. Bluffton pulled away with an 18-8 fourth quarter to win by 26.
LIMA – The Bluffton High School wrestling team finished a solid ninth at the 36-team Thunderbird Invitational at Lima Central Catholic on Friday and Saturday, January 24-25.
Delta won the team crown with 290.5 points. Waynedale was second with 247.5. Allen East came in sixth (113), while the Pirates came in ninth at the two-day event with 93.5 points.
Host LCC ended up 11th with 85.5 points.
Bluffton’s Branden Cross came in fourth in the 120 lbs. division to post the top Pirate finish.
Pirate Ronald Kaufman took fifth in the 106 lbs. weight class.
Evan Grothause came in fifth in the 190 lbs. bracket.
Pirate Mason Shank finished seventh in the heavyweight division.
BLUFFTON - The Bluffton High School varsity bowling team defeated visiting North Baltimore in a dual match at Southgate Lanes on Friday, January 24.
The Pirates prevailed by a score of 2,492 pins to 2,295. The win upped their season record to 6-2.
“It was a good night for our varsity team,” said Pirate coach Ben Nye. “The five starters average 900 as a team, so it was a good group effort across the two standard games of bowling.”
