The Bluffton Pirates were the 44-31 winner over the Paulding Panthers when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. Bluffton took a 46-33 hit to the loss column at the hands of Paulding on Saturday. Bluffton has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the loss, Bluffton still got an impressive performance from Ayla Grandey, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Blair Utendorf, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds and two steals.
Bluffton struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Paulding found their leader in underclassman Addi Pease, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds and six steals. That's the first time this season that Pease scored 15 or more points. Kayleigh Dunham was another key contributor, scoring six points along with six rebounds and three steals.
Bluffton's defeat dropped their record down to 5-7. As for Paulding, the win got them back to even at 5-5.
Bluffton will be playing in front of their home fans against Elida at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Elida is hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses. As for Paulding, they will head out on the road to face off against Van Wert at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Van Wert is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
