Howell’s buzzer-beater gives Chaney OT victory

The Cowboys avenged an earlier loss this season to Fitch.

By CHUCK HOUSTEAU

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

YOUNGSTOWN — It didn’t play out like a game between two 1-6 teams.

The Chaney Cowboys avenged an early season 10-point loss to Austintown Fitch by knocking off the Falcons 64-62 in overtime in the nightcap of the Holiday Basketball Classic at Chaney High.

Senior Dearis Howell drove to the hoop with the game-winning basket at the buzzer to give the Cowboys the stunning victory.

With double overtime staring both teams in the face, Howell found himself with the ball as the clock was winding down and drove the right side of the lane to drop in an off-balanced shot.

Seconds earlier Fitch’s John Williams buried a 3-point shot from the corner to tie the game at 62.

Williams tallied 15 points for the Falcons.

The two teams battled to the end of regulation when Fitch’s Joe Reedy tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer to force overtime.

The Falcons trailed 53-51 after James Burns stole a Fitch pass and his brother Alan Burns made a layup with 22 seconds left in the game.

Fitch had a couple of missed shots by Jon Ballard and Jon Stockman in the final seconds before Reedy slid

down the lane to tip in the tying rebound basket.

“It was great to see that both teams have improved since our first meeting,” said Chaney coach Bernard Bohla. “It was a hard-fought game.

“All the kids played hard and made their shots when it mattered and I’m just happy at the outcome.”

Fitch seemed to be in control of the contest through most of the first three periods behind the strong play of Williams and Stockman.

Stockman led the Falcons with 23 points.

Chaney wasn’t going to let this game slip away and began to battle back late in the third quarter.

The Burns brothers fueled the attack as the junior guards led the team in scoring. Alan Burns scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds while James Burns added 15 points.

The duo helped trim a 39-32 Fitch lead to 39-36 by the end of the third quarter before a shot by Alan Burns with 2:52 left in the game gave Chaney its first lead at 48-46.