Niles wins at Howland 64-58 in overtime thriller

The Red Dragons rallied in the second half, then dominated overtime.
By DOUG CHAPIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HOWLAND -- Little did anyone know when the Niles-Howland junior varsity game went into overtime Tuesday night that it was a portent of things to come.
The host Tigers won that game, 46-45, but Niles pulled off a big Metro Athletic Conference victory in the varsity contest, defeating Howland 64-58 in overtime.
"Any MAC win on the road is a big one, it's just so brutal. To steal one on the road, I can't be more proud of my players," Niles coach Ron Price said. "The first half was theirs, the second half was ours and we had just enough left in the overtime."
Two different halves
Indeed it was a tale of two halves as Howland dominated the first 16 minutes, leading 34-20 at the half. The Tiger lead was 40-25 before Niles went on a 17-4 run over the last 5:05 of the third quarter to cut the advantage to 44-43 going into the fourth frame. The run included five consecutive 3-pointers, including two by Justin Allen who led all scorers with 22 points, and two by Joe Razzano, his only points of the game.
"There was a four- or five-minute stretch in the third quarter when it got away from us," said Doug Foster, serving as head coach for Howland in place of Don Andres. "We knew they'd have their run and we missed some free throws in the fourth quarter and had some steals against us. They are a good team, they don't quit, and I think they had a little more energy in the overtime."
Andres was whistled for two technical fouls in the Tigers' game Friday at Poland. The Ohio High School Athletic Association calls for a two-game suspension for such an infraction.
"I've been with Coach Andres for a long time and I know what he wants to accomplish and I'm the same kind of competitor as him," Foster said about sitting in for Andres.
Howland looked as if it might hold off the Dragons when Tony Pozega canned two buckets early in the fourth quarter, but Niles clawed back to 48-47 on two free throws each by Larry Sussman and Allen.
Tied 50-50 in regulation
Allen's 3-pointer, off one of five assists by Sean Cleary, tied the game at 50-50 with 3:06 remaining in regulation. Both defenses buckled down and both offenses milked the clock to some degree, and 50-50 was the score at the buzzer, though Razzano's last-second 3-pointer had a chance before rimming out.
"We had a few more looks in the second half but we really struggled in the first half. It was mostly due to their defense, they gave us a lot of trouble," Price said. "We did a much better job defending and rebounding in the second half. We have to fight and claw for everything and we were much more aggressive in the second half."
Howland led 53-52 in overtime before Sussman convereted a three-point play with 1:58 remaining after grabbing an offensive rebound. Seconds later Allen scored off a steal and Justin Shelton was fouled after the shot. Allen's bucket counted and Shelton made one of two free throws in the double bonus situation and the Red Dragons held a 58-53 lead. Less than five seconds later, Sean Cleary made a steal and was fouled. He also sank one of two at the line for a 59-53 lead.
Clutch free throws
Dario Hadzovic, who led a balanced Howland attack with 13 points, nailed a tough 3-pointer with 58 seconds to play, but Andrew Cleary made three of four free throws down the stretch and Allen scored a late insurance hoop to secure the win for the Dragons.
"I couldn't be more proud of all seven guys, they all came through at some point," Price said. "Allen has been there all year for us and he has worked so hard. And what about Sussman, just a sophomore and he made some real big plays."
Andrew Cleary added 12 points and four assists for the Dragons and Sussman and Bill Frech scored eight each.
For Howland, Hadzovic added 10 rebounds as the Tigers held a 32-20 rebounding edge over the smaller Red Dragons. Greg Hawes added 12 points and seven rebounds and Pozega scored 11 and also pulled down seven boards. Zack Byler also was an 11-point scorer for the Tigers.
The win leaves the Red Dragons (8-4 overall) in second place in the MAC at 4-1 as the first round of games finishes up. Niles and Howland (6-7, 3-2 MAC) both lost to league-leading Salem the first time through the league schedule. The Tigers get a second chance at the Quakers Friday at home.