BLUFFTON – Ottawa Glandorf needed every last basket on Friday night on the road as they came from behind to defeat Bluffton 45-40.
The Titans (2-0) secured their first lead of the night with 5:19 remaining in the third period on a free throw from senior Colin White but found themselves continually trading the advantage back and forth through the period with the Pirates.
Bluffton jumped out to a quick 5-0 run in the opening minute and a half on a first possession triple from junior Blake Sommers and a basket from senior Wade Ginther.
Through the opening period the hosts continued to keep the blue and gold at bay on the scoreboard with staunch defense on White and classmate Caden Erford.
Trailing in the waning moments of the second Erford took command of the scoreboard with six of his opening half 12 and tied the score at 21-21 just before the horn on a double clutched three point goal over the outstretched hands of a would be defender.
Balanced scoring for the Pirates in the third quarter kept the lead in the home teams column before White’s nine point spree to put his squad in front. Grant Schroeder notched the only basket of the second half to not be scored by White or Erford with 3:22 to give the Titans their largest lead of the game at the time, 30-27 and force a Bluffton timeout.
Over the final eight minutes of play Bluffton was able to muster just a single make from the field, a Blake Sommers basket with 1:13 remaining to keep hope of a victory alive at 41-39 and end a streak of over seven minutes without a connection from the field.
White who finished the night with 25 points and moved into 12th place all-time in Putnam County history in career scoring accounted for 10 in the stanza and iced the victory with a 4/4 mark at the line. Erford ended with 15 and tossed in an old fashioned three point play at 3:10 to go ahead 40-35.
Wade Ginter led the Pirates (2-1) in scoring with 10 and was joined by Blake Sommers (9), and Marek Donaldson with seven.
The Pirates return to action next Friday night as they begin NWC play on the road in Delphos while the Titans finish off their weekend Saturday evening in a non-league clash with Van Buren.
Scoring:
OG (45):
Alex Wagner 2
Grant Schroeder 3
Colin White 25
Caden Erford 15
3PT: 2 (Erford, Schroeder)
FT: 9/11
TO: 5
Bluffton (40):
Marek Donaldson 7
Kerry Wright 2
Wade Ginther 10
Terron Boblitt 5
Landen Worcester 3
Blake Sommers 9
Brody Sommers 2
John-Paul Yoder 2
3PT: 2 (Boblitt, Blake Sommers)
FT: 8/10
TO: 12
JV: OG 54-43