Howland uprising falls short to E. Tech

The Tigers fell behind in the second quarter, and their rally wasn't enough.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AKRON -- Marianne Krezeczowski had one of those looks where you could tell she was on the verge of crying, but was trying to hold it in.
"We weren't far off," the Howland senior said, shaking her head. "The intensity was there. Maybe if we had another shot, we could do it."
The Tigers entered Tuesday's Division II regional semifinal as underdogs against Connecticut-bound senior Barbara Turner and Cleveland East Tech.
It seemed like one of those nights where the Golden Scarabs could be beaten, if only the Tigers would have played their best.
If only.
"We came out fairly strong and we were right in there," Howland senior Emily Andrews said. "We let it get away."
Turning point: Especially in the second quarter, when East Tech (22-1) used a 17-7 advantage to take a commanding lead en route to a 56-45 win at Copley High School. The game was moved from Barberton because of a meningitis scare.
"All these games are good tests," Scarabs coach William Stoval said. "When we get a big lead, we need to stop teams from coming back.
"We beat them by 11, but we should have beat them by at least 20."
Howland was down 18 with a minute remaining in the third quarter when it started to chip away. The Tigers cut the deficit to 49-41 with 2:54 remaining and then forced a turnover. But the Tigers missed their next shot and East Tech used a 6-0 run to put it away.
Krezeczowski had 14 points and junior Michelle Rura had a season-high 14 points and seven rebounds for Howland (22-3). Andrews added 11 points and junior Darcy Quinlan had six assists.
"Emily played really well tonight," said Howland coach John Diehl, who loses Andrews and Krezeczowski. "We'll miss her defense and her rainbow shots. And Marianne is just a great player.
"But other players will step it up [next year]. We'll be OK."
Turner -- who Diehl called "the best girl he's ever coached against" -- finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Lauren Billingsley added 13 points and Danise Harris had 10.
"It was a nice challenge," Turner, a 6-foot-1 senior, said. "We can't get complacent.
"They weren't one of the better teams we played this year, but they were a good team."
Sub-par show: Some would argue with that assessment, but Howland didn't look its best Tuesday night. The Tigers shot 40 percent from the floor (16-for-40) and committed 21 turnovers to just 12 assists.
Howland didn't attempt its first free throw until five minutes into the third quarter.
"Really?" Diehl said. "I don't really have a good comment for that."
East Tech advances to play Walsh Jesuit on Friday. Last year, the Scarabs advanced to the state semifinals in Division I. Howland, which will return three starters, has won back-to-back district titles but has not advanced to state.
"It's pretty sad, but it's not disappointing," Andrews said. "I couldn't have asked for anything else in my career."
Krezeczowski, who has two younger sisters on the team, is leaning toward attending Roberts Wesleyan in the fall.
She played her first three years at Niles.
"It's a great team and I loved playing here," she said. "This year was the best year of my high school career. This is the best of all my years.
"I think they'll do well next year. I'll keep up with them when I can."
scalzo@vindy.com