By RICK SPRUNGER
Bluffton’s offensive woes continued Saturday night in a 43-34 loss to Mississinewa on the home court.
“Turnovers,” said Bluffton coach Karl Grau quietly after it was over. “Turnovers were the bottom line.
“We lost because we committed turnovers, and they got run-out layups.”
And there were lots of turnovers.
Seventeen, to be exact, in a game in which Bluffton only took 23 field goal attempts.
Two in particular late, in the fourth quarter, finally veered what had been a close game Mississinewa’s way.
Bluffton had trailed most of the night but never by much.
The last tie had been at 27-27 midway through the third quarter, but Mississinewa had never led by more than 4 points after that.
But then, with Bluffton trailing 35-32 and less than two and a half minutes remaining, a bad pass sailed over the head of its intended receiver and out of bounds under the Mississinewa basket.
The Indians broke Bluffton’s pressure, and Gannon Smith found Ty Newsom under the basket with a picture-pretty pass for a layup with 2:03 left.
Then Bluffton committed a live-ball turnover at midcourt, Newsom got the uncontested breakaway, and suddenly it was 39-32 with 1:47 to play.
But it wasn’t just the turnovers.
Of the Tigers’ 23 shots (Mississinewa took 41), they hit on a mere seven for an ice-cold 30.4 percent. Thirteen of those attempts were from behind the arc, where they connected on three (23.1 percent). Meaning, of course, that the Tigers only took 10 two-point field goal shots all night, compared to the 27 of Ole Miss.
In the fourth quarter, when the game was on the line, Bluffton only took three shots from the field while committing seven turnovers.
“We played very well, defensively,” Grau allowed. “Even on offense, we did a good job of getting the ball into the post, and we did a good job of driving and getting fouled.”
The Tigers largely stayed in the game with a 17-for-22 performance (77.3 percent) from the stripe.
When the fourth quarter began with Mississinewa on top, 31-28, Bluffton ratcheted up its defensive pressure and allowed the Indians to hit just one of their first six shots of the period, a 3-pointer by Rees Farr from the corner, and a free throw by Newsom over the first six minutes of the period.
But with Bluffton managing only a single field goal by Hunter Wenger and a couple of free throws over the same time period, it was never able to get over the top.
“When you need something to happen, you cannot turn the ball over,” reiterated a frustrated Grau, pausing between words for emphasis.
Bluffton only led twice in the contest.
The Tigers spotted Mississinewa an early 5-0 lead before Max Stoppenhagen wrapped a 3-pointer and a free throw around a rebound basket by Tucker Jenkins for a 6-5 edge.
Then, trailing 17-11 midway through the second period, Stoppenhagen scored 8 straight Bluffton points on another 3-pointer and six free throws.
His second set of free tosses inched Bluffton ahead, 18-17, and his third set produced a 20-20 tie after a Farr 3-pointer.
Stoppenhagen led all scorers with 15 points for Bluffton but was the only Tiger with more than 6.
Newsom finished with 11 to pace Mississinewa while Hayden Ulerick and Jaxon Ott each added 9.
Mississinewa also won the junior varsity game, 47-29.
Eli Garrett scored 8 points and Andrew Hunt 7 for Bluffton.
The Tigers took the freshmen game, 39-34, in overtime.
Kaleb Green scored 15 points for Bluffton while Nolan Lambert added 8.
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MISSISSINEWA 43, BLUFFTON 34
At Bluffton High School
MISSISSINEWA (8-12): Ty Newsom 5-7 1-4 11, Hayden Ulerick 4-14 1-3 9, Gannon Smith 3-5 0-0 6, Jaxon Ott 3-7 1-2 9, Dakota Ancil 0-2 0-0 0, Rees Farr 2-4 0-0 6, Preston McCann 0-0 0-0 0, Nolan Quaderer 1-1 0-0 2, Taikel Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Trevon Hess 0-0 0-0 0. TOTAL: 18-41 3-9 43.
BLUFFTON (3-18): Tucker Jenkins 1-1 2-2 4, Andrew Ball 0-5 1-2 1, Sam Baumgartner 0-1 1-2 1, Harrison Schreiber 2-5 0-0 5, Max Stoppenhagen 2-7 9-10 15, Carter McConnell 1-2 4-6 6, Fletcher Wenger 0-1 0-0 0, Markis Crosbie 0-0 0-0 0, Hunter Wenger 1-1 0-0 2. TOTAL: 7-23 17-22 34.
Mississinewa 12 13 6 12 – 43
Bluffton 9 11 8 6 – 34
Three-point Goals: Mississinewa 4-14 (Ulerick 0-6, G. Smith 0-1, Ott 2-3, Farr 2-4), Bluffton 3-13 (Ball 0-4, Baumgartner 0-1, Schreiber 1-2, Stoppenhagen 2-6). Rebounds: Mississinewa 25 (Newsom 8), Bluffton 19 (Jenkins 6, McConnell 5). Turnovers: Mississinewa 9, Bluffton 17. Fouls: Mississinewa 16, Bluffton 8. Fouled Out: None. Technicals: None.
JV: Mississinewa 47, Bluffton 29
Freshmen: Bluffton 39, Mississinewa 34 OT
