By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Host Bluffton rolled to a 79-16 win over youthful Ada in the Northwest Conference girls basketball opener Thursday evening.
The purple and gold fell to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in the NWC with the defeat, while the Lady Pirates improved to 3-1 and 1-0 in league play after the victory.
Ada trailed 24-2 after one quarter as the Lady Pirate press bothered the visitors. The hosts extended the lead to 44-6 at halftime. Blufton outscored Ada 35-10 after intermission.
"Once again our effort was good," said first-year Bulldog head coach Morgan Bass. "We didn't give up and played hard the whole game. We are just focusing on improving."
Pirate sophomore guard Laykin Garmatter led all scorers with 21 points as she drained a trio of three-point goals. Junior post Libby Schaadt netted 16 points, while senior guard Alivia Koenig netted 10 points with two treys.
Bulldog freshman Kirsten Poling and sophomore Alexis Waugh each scored four points to pace Ada.
The Pirates sank 34 field goals, including six triples. The Bulldogs canned seven baskets and two of three foul shots.
Ada played without injured sophomore point guard Miranda Wills, who suffered a broken nose vs. Hardin Northern Tuesday.
The Pirate reserves won a two-quarter JV game, 39-5.
Ada 16 (0-3, 0-1 NWC)
Poling 1 2-2 4, Light 0, George 1 0-0 2, Waugh 2 0-0 4, Acheson 1 0-0 2, Phillips 1 0-1 2, Cortez 1 0-0 2,Blankenship 0.
Totals: 7/2-3/16. 3-pointers: none.
Bluffton 79 (3-1, 1-0 NWC)
B. Garmatter 3 0-0 6, White 3 0-0 6, Prater 2 2-2 7, Rumer 4 0-0 8, L. Garmatter 8 2-3 21, Koenig 4 0-0 10, Schaadt 8 0-0 16, Monday 1 1-2 3, Stackhouse 1 0-0 2.
Totals: 34/5-7/79. 3-pointers: Koenig 2, L. Garmatter 3, Prater 1.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 2 4 4 6 16
Bluf 24 20 16 19 79
JV: Bluffton 39, Ada 5.
Up next, Ada (0-1 home) entertains former league foe Perry (0-3) Saturday afternoon, starting with a noon JV tip-off. The Lady Bulldogs beat the Commodores 57-36 last year.
"I told the girls not to hang their heads and to come ready to get a win Saturday," said Bass. "We can compete with them as far as numbers go; I think they are about in the same boat as us."
Wills may be able to play with a mask Saturday.
