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Spartan deficit too big in loss
By JOSH REILLY
CANTON
The Boardman High boys basketball team stormed back from a 15-point deficit and came up just short in a 49-48 loss to Wooster while Chaney fells in the nightcap to North Canton Hoover, 88-38, in Monday’s Division I sectional semifinals at the Canton Civic Center.
Down one point with 7.6 seconds left, the Spartans had a chance for the win, but a pass by Jamar Stevenson was knocked down — and then stolen — by Wooster’s Alex LaLonde.
LaLonde was a force for the Generals, finishing with 23 points and 15 rebounds.
Dave DiBernardi had 17 points and John Fithian put in 14 for Boardman.
Dayne Hammond added seven rebounds.
The Spartans, who trailed 26-13 at halftime, saw that deficit expand to 15 points before chipping away.
DiBernardi buried three 3-pointers during the third quarter as Boardman pulled within 12 before the fourth.
Fithian, a senior along with DiBernardi, scored 11 points, including three treys of his own, in the final period.
“Our senior class is a great class,” Boardman coach Dan McKeown said.
“We’re really going to miss them. They could have packed it up and quit, but at halftime they said they didn’t want it [the season] to end.”
The Spartans evened the score twice during the fourth, but the lead stayed elusive.
With 5:37 remaining, Fithian capped a 14-0 Boardman run with a game-tying 3.
The Generals answered back with five straight points, going ahead 44-39, and then made five free throws.
Fithian buried another shot from behind the arc with 1:24 left to forget a 48-48 tie, ultimately setting the stage for Wooster’s Duke Price, who made the game-winning free throw with 7.6 seconds on the clock.
Boardman had a number of players in foul trouble, which proved costly in the end as the winning point came from the line.
“I trust our bench because we have fine depth,” McKeown said.
“But, the thing that hurt was Wooster getting easy points at the line. That’s what it came down to — a double-bonus.”
The Spartans seemed to have little answer for the 6-foot-5 LaLonde, who seemed to take over the game at times — both on the glass and beyond the arc. He had four 3-pointers.
“We knew he was a shooter,” McKeown said.
“We didn’t want to leave him for looks. It just came down to a lack of execution on our part.”
In the nightcap, Nyles Evans led Hoover with 24 points, while Dom Iero put in 10. Harrison Blackledge and Max Erb added 10 points apiece.
The Vikings started the contest with nine straight points and went on a 14-0 streak later in the half before taking a 46-14 lead into the half.
“I think they [Chaney] were a little outmanned,” Hoover coach Randy Montgomery said “They hustled and they tried, but I think we have more experience.”
Rayshown Johnson was Chaney’s top scorer with 10 points. Tyler Dubose added seven rebounds.
“The thing I love about Chaney kids,” Coach Josh Marsh said, “is that they play hard. This season was a success — not based on wins and losses — but these kids learned a lot.”