Jefferson captures 3rd straight NWC crown

BLUFFTON – After making it to the Division IV state semifinals last season, Delphos Jefferson found itself in a lot of hard-fought games this season.

However, the Wildcats have found ways to win those tight games. In Thursday’s Northwest Conference game at Bluffton, Delphos Jefferson slipped out with a 50-44 girls basketball victory over the Pirates.

With the win over Bluffton, Delphos Jefferson (14-6, 8-1) has notched its third consecutive outright NWC title.

Courtney Lewis led Delphos Jefferson with 14 points, including 3-pointers. Lewis also dished out four assists and had four steals.

Kennedy Boggs scored 10 points, including three 3-pointers in the third quarter.

And like Lewis, Boggs was busy on the defensive end, making five steals. Megan Gilden added nine points and came away with nine rebounds. Elizabeth Schosker also scored nine points for the Wildcats.

Bailey Prichard led Bluffton (7-13, 3-6) with 12 points, while Lydia Guagenti scored 11.

Longtime Delphos Jefferson coach Dave Hoffman said he’s been fortunate the past several years.

"We’ve had a lot of talent come through here in the past five or six years," Hoffman said. "These seniors we have, I don’t think they’ve lost an NWC title all the way through - even through junior high. That says a lot about these girls."

Boggs, a senior, said playing solid defense has always been her focus.

"We really didn’t get our outside shots to fall, until Courtney hit those threes (third quarter)," Boggs said.

"Ever since we’ve been really young, we were always told that if you play good defense, the offense will eventually come."

In the first half, Delphos Jefferson made just 8 of 31 of its shots from the field, but still managed to slip into the halftime break with a 21-15 lead.

The second half for the Wildcats wasn’t much better, as they made just 7 of 24 from the floor and ended the game shooting 27 percent.

Bluffton, on the other hand, shot 49 percent from the floor. However, Bluffton committed 28 turnovers on the night.

Despite being down six points at the break, Bluffton battled back and knotted the game at 32-32 by the end of the third quarter. The Pirates closed the third period on a 6-0 run. Guagenti scored on two fastbreak baskets, while Paige Buroker (nine points) scored down low.

Bluffton coach Eric Garmatter said his team never gave up.

"I’m proud of our effort," he said. "We put ourselves in position to win the game, against a pretty good team. They (Delphos Jefferson) got a lot more shots than us, both from the field and the free throw line."

In the fourth quarter, Delphos Jefferson made 12 of 18 from the free throw line, while Bluffton did not even make it to the charity stripe in the final eight minutes of the game.

Hoffman said his team has been tested this season.

"Last year, we ran away with a lot of games. This year, there’s been a lot of close games," Hoffman said. "Our offense has struggled, but our defense has kept us in games.

"But, I would rather come away with an ugly win, than have a well-played loss."