Hartman's heroics lift LaBrae, 56-46

Todd Rowan added a double-double for the Vikings.
HUBBARD -- Top-seeded LaBrae High used an 11-0 first quarter run and junior Danny Hartman's heroics in the fourth quarter to defeat Brookfield, 56-46, in the Division III district championship game at Hubbard High School Friday night.
Defeating the Warriors for the third time this season, LaBrae (19-4) advanced to the regional semifinals Thursday at the Canton Fieldhouse. The Vikings will play the winner of tonight's Wooster district final between West Salem Northwestern and Loudonville.
Friday's game was just as tough as two earlier matchups between the Trumbull Athletic Conference rivals, both of which were won by LaBrae, by four and two points.
It helped that the Vikings broke away from an early 2-2 deadlock with an 11-0 run, keyed by 6-foot-3 senior Todd Rowan's three field goals. In that run there were three scores following Brookfield turnovers. The Warriors (13-11) had 19 miscues for the game.
Thanks to 5-10 senior guard Sam King, Brookfield, trailing 18-7 after the first quarter, came back to cut LaBrae's lead -- which once reached 13 points -- to 33-25 at the intermission.
King finished with a game-high 20 points, sinking 4-of-9 3-pointers, and had seven assists before fouling out with 1 minute, 39 seconds remaining in the game.
Taking over
The Warriors got as close as seven points on several occasions, the last at 43-36 with 7:06 remaining in the game on a converted offensive rebound by Cory Richards. That's when Hartman took over, scoring five straight points on a layup and 3-pointer to make it 48-36.
"Defense was the key for us," said LaBrae coach Gregg Isler. "We only gave up an average of 37 points a game in this tournament."
Hartman, who was injured in mid-season, scored 12 points and had six rebounds.
"I wanted to pick us up as much as I could and my time came in that fourth quarter stretch," he said.
Todd Rowan finished with a double-double, 15 points and 15 of his team's 40 rebounds. Senior guard Jason Frederick led the Vikings with 16 points, hitting a pair of 3s and 6-of-6 at the foul line.
"Getting to the district final was a great reward for our seniors who have given so much to this program," said Brookfield coach Chris Fahndrich.
"LaBrae was just bigger and stronger than us and we didn't shoot well and didn't rebound and those are the things you have to do to win."
Richards grabbed 12 rebounds for Brookfield, while senior Keith Flynn added 11 points.