Basketball Game Preview: Bluffton Pirates vs. Defiance Bulldogs

By Team Reports Dec 3, 2024, 5:14am

Basketball Preview: Bluffton Pirates vs. Defiance Bulldogs

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The Bluffton Pirates will square off against the Defiance Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Bluffton focused on turnovers this week as the team gave up 15 on Wednesday.

Bluffton took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 64-42 margin over Benjamin Logan.

Bluffton's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ayla Grandey led the charge by dropping a double-double on 16 points and 12 rebounds. Grandey is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last five games she's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Blair Utendorf, who posted ten points along with six steals and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Defiance came into Friday's matchup having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They snuck past Celina with a 41-37 win on Friday.

Defiance's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Bluffton, they now have a winning record of 2-1.

Everything went Bluffton's way against Defiance in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, as Bluffton made off with a 50-27 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Defiance's Isabella Rowlison, who went 5 for 11 en route to 12 points plus seven rebounds and four steals. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Bluffton still be able to contain Rowlison? There's only one way to find out.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps