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Physical play no problem for Sefcik
By STEVE WILAJ
HOWLAND
The Howland Tigers greeted Austintown Fitch guard Megan Sefcik with a couple elbows, a shot to the nose and a handful of hard fouls on Monday.
In other words, it was a typical game for the senior.
“I’m used to it. I’m going on my fourth year of it,” she said. “I try not to let that mess with my game and play through it.”
In turn, Sefcik scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Fitch defeated Howland, 72-46.
In other words, it was a typical game for the Akron recruit.
“I think everybody’s gunning for her and wants to do that,” said Fitch coach Stacie Cepin. “But she’s a tough kid. I mean she’s skinny out there and getting a beatdown every game, but she just comes back for more. She’s a tough-minded kid.”
Sefcik scored 11 points and knocked down three 3-pointers in the first eight minutes to lead Fitch (2-0) to a 24-8 first-quarter advantage.
“I was coming off a poor shooting game last Monday and when I was warming up, I kind of felt it,” Sefcik said. “I started off hot and did just that.”
As a result of the physical play, Sefcik shot 11 free throws and made all of them.
She wasn’t the only hot Falcon though. Cassie Custer scored 18 points and grabbed seven boards, while Maura Bianco added 14 points and nine rebounds.
“I think in the last couple of years, we tried to build confidence in the other girls,” Cepin said. “Megan’s a great teammate and has a lot of trust in them. Over a period of time with these girls playing together, it’s starting to come together.”
Howland (1-2) fought back to cut the deficit to 13 points at halftime. Gabby Cvengros led the Tigers with 13 points, while Jordan Entler and Lexi Ross each scored seven.
But Fitch used a 24-7 third quarter to pull away.
“We stressed starting out the game good — we’ve had trouble in the past starting games,” Sefcik said. “But we came out hot, died down a little bit, then fought back in the end.”
The Falcons outrebounded Howland, 39-23.
“This team enjoys working hard,” Cepin said. “That’s how you get the success out here.
“I’m proud of the relationships they have with each other and the trust they have in each other. It’s a fun team to be around right now. We’re having a blast.”