TRUMBULL ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Liberty's 61 percent shooting nets 12th

The Leopards kept alive their TAC title hopes by beating Hubbard, 57-46.
By BOB ROTH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HUBBARD -- A hot shooting Liberty High avenged an earlier loss to Hubbard with a 57-46 victory Saturday afternoon.
The Leopards kept their Trumbull Athletic Conference hopes alive, shooting 23-for-38 for 61 percent, with three players in double figures.
Six-foot-four senior Joel Marshall hit a 3-pointer with the game less than a minute old that gave Liberty (12-3, 6-3 TAC) a lead they never lost.
Marshall scored eight points in the first half and finished with 15, to go along with six rebounds. Senior Brad Fletcher, averaging 17.9 points per game, finished with a game-high 16 points and had eight rebounds after a slow start. He had three baskets in the game's final three minutes to keep the Leopards ahead.
Morris didn't play
Hubbard (7-7, 3-5) played without their 6-4 senior post, Jacoby Morris, who woke up with a sore neck and was unable to dress. Morris averages 13 points and 12 rebounds per game. In the Eagles' 60-58 win at Liberty on Jan. 9, Morris finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
"Definitely the difference in this game was that we were able to work inside with Morris out," said Liberty coach Burt Stellers.
"I was able to take advantage of Morris being out of their lineup," added Marshall.
Joe Lopez, a 6-1 senior, finished with 10 points, five assists and four steals for Liberty.
Twice the Leopards had nine-point leads, but Hubbard, with a 5-0 run to end the third quarter, and one of Matt Yanik's 3-pointers to open the final period, got to within 36-35.
Then, with 4:22 remaining in the game, Yanik, who led the Eagles with 11 points, drilled his last 3 pointer to tie the score at 40-all.
Run clinches win
Marshall, Fletcher and Lopez took the Leopards on an 8-0 run to put the game away.
Hubbard's Russell Hawkins, a 6-0 sophomore, pulled down 10 rebounds as the Eagles had a 25-22 advantage on the boards.
"I asked [Morris] to come in and 15 minutes before the game we made a decision to not have him dress," said Hubbard coach Tom King.
He praised Dave Ward and Danny Trolio who played well coming off the bench.
"We were patient on offense and I am extremely proud of our guys for playing their hearts out and staying with a good Liberty team," said King.