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.