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Canfield avenges AAC loss with 2-OT win at Howland
HOWLAND — Canfield did in the last four minutes what it couldn’t do in the previous 36, when the Cardinals finally got the upper hand on Howland for a 64-59 double-overtime victory on Wednesday night.
“Our saying this week was: smooth waters don’t make a great mariner,” Canfield coach Pat Pavlansky said of finally seeing results after some tough times this season. “You don’t learn how to captain a ship unless there are rough waters and we’ve had some rough waters this year. It was rough waters again tonight, but our girls figured out how to beat a good team on the road, after being down, basically the whole game. For that, I’m proud of them.”
The Cards sank Howland after a regulation with a wild ending and an intense first overtime. The Cardinals managed to rise to the occasion in the final four minutes to avenge a 62-51 loss at Canfield on Jan. 9.
What did Canfield learn from first loss?
“That we need to play harder,” Pavlansky said. “Ever since that loss at our place when they dominated us, we have played so hard in practice and so hard in every game — and things haven’t always gone right, but we haven’t given up. We had some dead [tired] kids out there tonight, but they kept playing.”
Jillian Halfhill had 20 points and freshman Sabrina Mangapora 18, while Cally Wollet chipped in 11 for Canfield (8-7, 4-1 AAC Red).
After Sara Vrabel’s steal at the outset of the second overtime, Mangapora made a jumper from the foul line to snap a 55-55 deadlock. Canfield never trailed again.
“We came back because the coach told us to be more aggressive and we really pulled through,” Mangapora said as Canfield rallied from as much as a seven-point first-half deficit.
“Canfield played harder than we did,” Howland coach John Diehl said. “I thought we looked a little sluggish. If there was a real turning point in the game, I thought it was in the second quarter when we had a chance to put it out of reach, but didn’t capitalize on that.”
Howland’s Taylor Williams entered the game as the AAC Red’s leading scorer and rebounder with 261 points and 224 rebounds, respectively.
Her 13 points trailed Erika Nites’ 17 and Kaylee Redon’s 15, but Williams made her presence felt with several blocked shots, including three in one sequence with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Two free throws by Halfhill gave Canfield a 48-45 lead with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation, but Howland was given a bit of extra time when the clock didn’t start immediately on an inbounds play and Nites was fouled in the act of trying a 3-point goal. The sophomore made all three to force overtime.