GIRLS DIVISION I Howland will face Boardman in regional

Howland finished the game with a 10-2 run.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
PERRY -- Better late than never.
The Howland High girls basketball team waited until 22.2 seconds remained in the contest for its only lead, defeating East Cleveland Shaw 41-38 in a girls Division I district championship Saturday at Perry High School.
A free throw by Michelle Rura gave Howland its first lead, 39-38, since 4-3 early in the first quarter. A pair of free throws by 6-foot-2 senior Angela Cape gave the Tigers the final advantage.
Local teams: The victory set up a regional semifinal matchup Tuesday between Boardman and Howland.
"When the game is at the end, we want Angela with the ball," Howland coach John Diehl said. "She's a determined young lady, and this was her best fourth quarter of the season; she had that look in her eye."
Cape's opportunity came when Rura missed the second of two free throws.
"When Michelle missed her second shot, I knew I had to get to the ball. It was instinct to step in, grab that rebound and go back up with it," Cape said. "I was fouled then, and I love to be on the line."
Both teams had 37 rebounds, with Cape grabbing 14 and Rura grabbing 10 for Howland. Cape had 14 points, 10 coming in the second half.
"When I was a freshman, we were 2-19, and four years later we're going to be in the regional," Cape said. "That shows what hard work can do."
In control: Shaw controlled most of the game, twice building its lead to nine points (24-15 and 26-17), but Howland began its comeback while trailing 36-31.
After Diehl called a timeout, the Tigers increased their defensive intensity to finish with a 10-2 run fueled by four consecutive Shaw turnovers.
"They were real quick, and we knew we had to work harder against them," Rura said. "We all knew that we had to step up. We never lost confidence."
"Once you get a quick team tired, you go to a man-to-man [defense]," Diehl said. "We went out of our zone ... in the late-going they were tired, and we wore them down."
Natalie Nicholas, who had all of her eight points in the second half, who nailed a 5-foot runner to tie the game at 38 with 40 seconds remaining. That set the stage for Rura and Cape in the final seconds.
"We've come a long way, and I knew I had to score, because we've always been there for each other," said Nicholas, referring to her relationship with fellow senior Cape.
Carletta Herrell had 17 points for Shaw and Deonte Cameron finished with 12 points.