A quick 2-step around two Bluffton defenders and Jefferson junior Rileigh Stockwell brings the Wildcats within one; however, they could not get any closer as 3 singles from the Pirates sealed the 4-point NWC girls win Thursday night at Jefferson High School. Stockwell led the ’Cats with 19.

The battle went down to the wire as Bluffton edged Jefferson for a 46-42 win in the regular-season finale.
With the score tied at 4-4, Jefferson went on a 6-1 run to close out the first period as Rileigh Stockwell scored four points and Hannah Sensibaugh added in a layup.

The Lady Pirates got late foul shots from Katie Palte to make the score at the end of the first stanza 10-5, Lady Wildcats.

Bluffton open the second quarter with a bang as Paige Buroker nailed a 3-pointer to cut the Jefferson lead to 10-8. Two made free throws from Alex Lugibihl allowed the Lady Pirates to tie the game later at 14-14. Bluffton finished the first half on a 7-2 run, which included five points from Sierra Amstutz, to make the score going into intermission 21-16, Lady Pirates.

Jefferson got seven straight points coming from Stockwell as the Lady Wildcats cut the Bluffton lead to 27-23 in the third period. The Lady Wildcats finally regained the lead after a Sensibaugh runner and a Makayla Binkley 3-pointer made the score 29-28, Jefferson. Both teams exchanged hoops to end the third quarter as Bluffton’s Sarah Schriner got a layup but Jefferson countered with a layup from Binkley to end the period and make the score 33-30, Lady Wildcats.
The Lady Pirates got a big boost in the final period when, after Lugibihl knocked down her first foul shot, Buroker collect the miss on the second free throw and put it back for a quick three points for Bluffton to cut the Jefferson lead to 35-33. A little later in the quarter, the Lady Pirates got a 3-point play from Buroker and a layup from Anna Crisp to extend the Bluffton lead to 41-35.