TRUMBULL ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Hubbard routs Tigers

The Eagles used their size advantage in a 52-32 victory over Newton Falls.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NEWTON FALLS -- Hubbard and Newton Falls played a girls basketball game Thursday night and the most interesting thing about it happened a year ago.
Which was just fine with Hubbard coach Dave Konczal.
"We lost here a year ago and it cost us the [Trumbull Athletic Conference]," he said. "We came out tremendously focused."
Eagles senior Katy Jo Mroski had 17 points and eight rebounds as visiting Hubbard stayed unbeaten in the TAC with a 52-32 rout of the Tigers.
"They probably used that as an incentive," Newton Falls coach Kelly Nelson said of last year's game. "It's a pretty meaningful incentive."
Season sweep
Hubbard beat the Tigers at home earlier in the season, 56-48. Konczal figured that if the Eagles kept Newton Falls under 50, they'd win again.
"I'm actually surprised that we won by so many," he said. "I thought it would be a nip-and-tuck, down-to-the-wire game.
"We really don't match up well with them. They're the toughest matchup in the league for us, even tougher than Girard."
But the Tigers' guard-heavy lineup couldn't handle Mroski and senior Jill Phillips (both are 6-feet-2). Phillips had just four points, but grabbed six rebounds as Hubbard out-rebounded the Tigers 38-19.
"We just needed to take advantage of our size," Konczal said.
Newton Falls didn't shoot well, either, making just 11-of-42 from the field (26 percent).
"It wasn't pretty," Nelson said.
Senior guard Desiree Sterling led Newton Falls (9-4, 6-4) with seven points, four rebounds and three assists. Molly Lenarcic also had seven points.
Jami Duvall scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds for Hubbard (12-2, 10-0), which has non-league losses to two of the area's best teams -- Salem and Boardman.
Lynle Cornell added nine points, seven rebounds and four steals. Hubbard controls its destiny in the TAC, but has upcoming games against Liberty and Girard.
And if the Eagles have a weakness, it's free throw shooting. Hubbard hit just 5-of-18 at the line and nearly lost the first game against Girard because of poor foul shooting.
"It's been inconsistent," Konczal said. "We shoot about 75 percent at home, but we've struggled on the road."
scalzo@vindy.com