TWO FOR THE BIRDS

By Tom Williams

Fitch rallies from 10-point deficit to pull past Poland

The Falcons reached their preseason goal of six wins by beating the Bulldogs 38-33.

POLAND — Fitch High senior Samantha Rovnak says her team’s goal at the start of the season was to top six victories.

The Falcons will have three chances to exceed that goal. Monday at Poland High, Fitch (6-12) rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit for a 38-33 win over the Bulldogs (7-18).

“We just stuck together,” said Rovnak after the Falcons outscored the Bulldogs 17-6 in the fourth quarter. “We were pumped for it — we didn’t pull apart.

“It was probably the most intense [win],” said Rovnak, who scored nine points.

Trailing 25-15 midway through the third quarter, the Falcons’ offense ignited when Erica Braxton scored from underneath and Rovnak hit a 3-pointer.

With the Bulldogs nursing a six-point edge, quick baskets by Braxton and Rovnak reduced the margin to two. After Poland’s Lauren Tadla sank two free throws for a 31-27 lead, the Falcons took charge.

Marissa Mattozzi hit a 3-pointer then found Mariah Snowden underneath for the go-ahead basket.

Four more points from Snowden and two by Braxton sealed the win.

“It was a great comeback and give all the credit to the girls,” Fitch coach John Hudson said. “They could have folded up, but they did not. They pulled together.”

Snowden scored 12 points and Braxton 11.

Poland senior Missy Haug had 11 points, six rebounds and two steals before she fell hard to the court late in third quarter.

She eventually returned to play and her absence affected the Bulldogs.

Poland coach Debbie Paine said the injury ”took a little bit of the momentum out of us because then we were a little nervous that she was seriously hurt.”

Tadla scored 15 points and Haug 12.

Paine said the Bulldogs were hoping to avenge their season-opening loss to the Falcons.

“We led the whole game until the last minute when they made a 3-point shot,” Paine said. “Tonight, they did a nice job of hanging in and capitalizing on our mistakes.”

Hudson credited the Falcons’ better play to a recent game against Massillon Jackson (13-5) where Fitch trailed by 24 points.

“They outscored Jackson 20-8 [down the stretch] and they’ve really come together since then,” Hudson said

The Falcons are doing it with a mixture of experience (seniors Rovnak and Lauren Keller, and junior Taylor Carter) and youth (sophomores Braxton, Snowden and Mattozzi and freshman Alexa Lynn).

“We have a young team, but our seniors really pull us through,” Hudson said. “[The underclassmen] have been learning from them. And it’s at the point where they started listening that we started getting better.”

Hudson cited the senior leadership that Rovnak and Keller displayed.

“Shots were not going for them tonight, but they did not quit,” said Hudson, referring to Keller’s eight rebounds. “Sammie really ran the show and it kept us together, kept us intact.”

The Falcons close the regular season with a home game on Thursday against East (9-8) and a Federal League tournament game on Saturday at Alliance against Canton GlenOak (4-13).

Their Division I tournament opener at Alliance will be against Jackson on Feb. 21.

williams@vindy.com