Spartans overturn Pups

By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
ALLIANCE -- Ahead 36-30 with 10 minutes to play, the top-seeded Canton McKinley High girls basketball team seemingly had a Division I district title in its grasp.
But a rejuvenated Boardman squad, inspired by an unexpected rest break, roared to life in the fourth quarter Saturday, out-scoring the Pups 19-5 to win its second straight district title, 52-41 at Alliance High School.
"Because no one expected us to do this, this one is so much sweeter," Boardman senior forward Jen Kish said. "We were the underdogs here."
Agreed: Teammate Ashlee Russo, a junior guard who scored 14 fourth-quarter points including 12 free throws, agreed.
"With Celeste [Hlebovy] and Lisa [Glozer], [winning] was expected of us. There was all that pressure," said Russo, who tied her career-best with 29 points. "This year, with such a young team, it wasn't.
"We weren't even expected to win our first game, let alone the whole district. That's why this is an even sweeter feeling."
Tuesday at 6 p.m., the Spartans (18-5) will take on Howland in a regional semifinal game at the Canton Civic Center.
Pivotal time: The turning point in the game came just after Russo made a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 45 seconds to play in the third quarter.
Because the Pups were in foul trouble, Coach Curt Bucklew ordered a stall, running off 90 seconds as all stood still.
McKinley's Tyonna Vance missed the final shot of the quarter and the Spartans went to work, opening the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run that put them in control and forced the Pups to take more fouls, setting the stage for Russo's performance at the foul line.
Stall tactics: Bucklew said the Pups had no choice. "We probably should have come out in the fourth quarter and done it again," he said of the stall tactics.
After Thursday's win over North Canton Hoover, Kish said standing still for 90 seconds "was a nice little break for us.
But Boardman coach Ron Moschella felt McKinley also benefited.
"They were in a battle, too," said Moschella of McKinley's six-point win over Massillon Jackson Thursday. "Their game with Jackson was nip-and-tuck all the way. So it was a stalemate."
Lauds Durkin: Kish said the speedy Pups guards "were very athletic, very quick. Their guards are very good, but [freshman] Brittany Durkin did an awesome job [guarding] Amber Robinson. She was the one we wanted to shut down."
Robinson was held to seven points but another sophomore guard, Diandrea Humphries, unstoppable in the third quarter, scoring four baskets as the tiring Spartans were caught chasing her during the Pups' 13-3 run that opened the second half.
But when Humphries was called for her fourth foul, the Pups slowed the pace.
"The pivotal part of the game was the start of the fourth quarter where we had three or four possessions, and we didn't do a good job," Bucklew said. "They didn't do anything to surprise us. We knew they'd do something to take out Amber."
Scoring: Kish finished with 13 points while freshman forward Amber Bland scored eight.
Junior forward Megan Murray came off the Boardman bench and played well defensively in relief of sophomore starter Jen Hlebovy, who had first-half foul trouble.
"In the first half, they were hurting us inside," Moschella said. "I don't think they did as much in the second half because Bland and Murray got physical and rebounded, and we needed that.
With 11 points, Humphries was the only Pup to reach double figures.