43
Hoover trips Canfield with last-second shot
Photo
NOT MAKING IT EASY: Hoover defenders Erika Warren (5) and Eleni Bourlas (31) try to keep Canfeild's Rachael O'Hara (5) from the hoop during Wednesday's game in Canfield.
Photo
HIGH FLYING CARDINAL: Jillian Halfhill (4) drives to the bucket as North Canton Hoover's Jessica Carpenter (33) plays defense during Wednesday's game in Canfield. The Vikings tripped up the Cardinals, 48-45, with a winning layup and free throw by Allison Pearce.
Allison Peare beat the Cardinals in the final seconds, 48-45.
CANFIELD — North Canton Hoover’s Allison Peare was a hero to her teammates.
The sophomore guard stole an errant Canfield pass and drove for the winning layup and free throw with 2.9 seconds left to give the Vikings a 48-45 victory over Canfield in a non-conference match up between two of the top programs in Ohio.
Hoover coach Paul Wackerly and Canfield coach Pat Pavlansky both admitted the final play didn’t determine the outcome of the hotly contested matchup.
Both veteran coaches barely mentioned the last minute play in their assessments of the game.
“It wasn’t that one mistake,” said Pavlansky of the late turnover. “We had a lot of young kids playing new positions but I was really impressed with how our girls bought into what we are trying to do.”
Canfield led 41-37 heading into the final period but struggled in the last eight minutes and scored just five points against Hoover’s zone defense.
“Defensively we did a good job,” Wackerly said. “We rely on our defense and fortunately we came up with a big play because of that defense.”
Peare’s name was never uttered by Wackerly.
The Vikings battled back from the four-point deficit to grab the lead at 45-43 on two free throws by Leah Gibson.
Gibson led the Vikings in scoring with 13 points.
Canfield tied the score with 1:27 left when senior Anokha Padubidri grabbed a rebound and was fouled.
Padubidri hit both free throws to knot the score at 45.
Canfield’s defense, which played outstanding all night long, then forced a Hoover turnover on a charge by Gibson with 1:02 left in the game.
Canfield held the ball the final minute before trying to attack the basket when Peare grabbed a pass and went the length of the court for the game-winning points.
“We kept battling out there,” Wackerly said. “Our kids kept playing and something good happened.
“We’re not playing that good right now but we battled and got a good win on the road. We’ll take it.”
Canfield struggled early in the game and trailed the Vikings 15-12 after the first quarter before Jill Halfhill came off the bench to help rally the Cards.
Halfhill has been nursing an early season injury but looked in mid-season form by the second half.
The junior point guard was dazzling offensively and scored eight of her game high 16 points in the second quarter to ignite a 16-8 run.
Canfield grabbed a 28-23 lead at the break.
The Cards were able to stave off the Vikings throughout the contest by outrebounding Hoover and stopping penetration.
Padubidri had 15 rebounds and scored 11 points for Canfield while Kalie Luklan grabbed 12 more. Halfhill collected nine rebounds from her guard position.
“That was the kind of effort we need every game,” Pavlansky said. “We’re real happy with the effort but not the result.”
The Cards (1-3) have lost to three Division I teams this season but Pavlansky is encouraged with the improving play of his young team that lost standouts Kate Popovec (University of Pittsburgh), Bryanne Halfhill (University of Chicago) and Melissa West (Bowling Green) from last year’s team.
“We did a lot more things right tonight,” Pavlansky said. “We still have a lot more to correct. We’ll go back to work tomorrow and continue to get better.
“I told the team that there are much bigger games later in the season.”