LIMA – Sometimes it is more about survival than anything at tournament time. It was just that Thursday night for Wayne Trace.
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By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton boys basketball team lost to hot-shooting Arlington 87-71 Wednesday night in the de facto finals of their annual Christmas break holiday tournament.
The Red Devils drained 13 three-point goals to overcome an early deficit and win going away over the Pirates.
It was Bluffton s second game in as many nights after beating Continental 68-40 Tuesday in what normally would have been the tourney semifinals.
The Pirates led 21-16 after the first period as Trenton Donley splashed a pair of three-pointers. Carson Soper also contributed five points in the opening stanza.
But Arlington took control with a 26-17 second quarter to grab a 42-38 halftime edge. Bryce Gast poured in a dozen points during the momentum-changing period.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton boys basketball team outscored Continental 29-10 Tuesday night en route to a convincing 68-40 win.
The non-league game was scheduled after Continental was set to compete in the annual four-team Bluffton McDonald s Holiday Tournament, which was cancelled.
The host Pirates led just 19-18 after a high-scoring first period behind Kyler Kinn s eight points. Bluffton extended the margin to 39-30 at intermisson as Trenton Donley drained two second-quarter triples.
Bluffton then blew the game open by limiting Continental to just one point in the third quarter. Donley scored six points and Trey Boblitt added five as the hosts advanced the margin to 52-31 by holding the opposition without a basket in a 13-1 period.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton boys basetball team lost 63-50 to Crestview in Northwest Conference action Monday night in a makeup game from December 18.
The Knights led 21-17 after a high-scoring first period, with each team hitting three triples. Crestview took control with a 17-6 second period run to lead 38-23 at halftime.
The Pirates cut the deficit to 45-36 behind a 13-7 third stanza as Nate Schaadt scored seven points. But the hosts pulled away with an 18-point fourth period to win by 13.
Bluffton fell to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the NWC with the defeat. Crestview improved to 5-2 and 1-1 in league action with the victory.
By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Visiting Bluffton finished the game on a 17-5 run to avoid an upset bid by winless local rival Ada and pull out a 55-52 victory in the Northwest Conference boys basketball opener.
The Bulldogs led 47-38 with under six minutes remaining to play after junior Cayden Murphy followed up a miss inside for a basket.
But then the Pirates began pounding the ball inside to reel off an 11-0 flurry and take a 49-47 lead.
Pirate post Kyler Kinn, a 6-3 junior, tallied eight interior points during the decisive run. His alley-oop layin cut the deficit to 47-44. Junior Nate Schaadt then tied it 47-47 on a putback three-point play with 2:55 left.