BOYS DIVISION I Carlson leads Boardman into district tournament

He played his best game as a Boardman Spartan, coach Dan Gorski said.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CANTON -- Close finishes are becoming the trademark of the Boardman boys basketball team in postseason play.
For the second time in the Division I sectional at the Canton Civic Center, the Spartans won in the waning seconds.
This time, Boardman withstood a furious second-half rally by Canton McKinley to defeat the Bulldogs 52-49.
Senior Shawn Carlson broke a 48-48 tie by scoring on a put-back of a missed shot by Kyle Davis with 42 seconds remaining.
Preservation: Brad Straight added two late free throws to preserve the win and send Boardman (13-9) to district play Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
It was Davis who hit a last-second 3-pointer to defeat Canton GlenOak on Monday to get the Spartans to this game.
Boardman looked like it would not need any last-minute heroics after breaking out to a first-quarter lead of 13-6 and a 26-12 advantage at halftime.
But Canton McKinley (11-11), led by veteran coach Dave Hoover, and hot-shooting senior guard Leonard Campbell, came roaring back.
"We knew McKinley would make a run," said Boardman coach Dan Gorski.
"They picked up the tempo and the only question was, could we weather the storm?"
After a pushing match between the two teams that resulted in double technical fouls and a cooling off period, McKinley clawed its way back into the game.
Stimulant: Campbell's half-court bank shot at the third-quarter buzzer was the impetus for the Bulldog's fourth-quarter run.
Campbell made three more 3-pointers at the start of the final quarter. The last one tied the game at 39-all.
Boardman regrouped, despite losing Terence Dials and Mike Finamore for the final two minutes of play. Both players fouled out.
Gorski praised the play of Carlson and the injured Straight who removed a brace to protect his separated shoulder in the final quarter.
"Shawn Carlson played his best game at Boardman," Gorski said.
Carlson (eight points) said he knew he had pick up his game, not for himself but for the team.
Game winner: As for the game-winning basket, Carlson said "I saw the ball come off and put it back in."
Hoover said his team got down early because of nervousness.
"I don't know. We looked nervous," Hoover said of McKinley's first-half performance.
"We didn't penetrate at all in the first half. In the second half we attacked more and our shots started to fall."
Colla helped spearhead Boardman in the final quarter by hitting five of his team-high 15 points.
Dials added 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Spartans won the battle of the boards, 36-32.
"We're starting to come together after everything we faced this year," Gorski said of the Spartan injuries.
"These guys believe in themselves. Let's see what happens."