Aviators fly past Fitch late
By Ryan Buck
ALLIANCE
The Austintown Fitch boys basketball team had little to hang their heads about Wednesday night. That is, if the Falcons could muster the strength to raise them again.
After fighting off a struggling, yet desperate Boardman team at home Tuesday, the Falcons ran out of gas late and watched a fourth- quarter lead disappear in a 63-59 loss to Alliance.
“We did everything we wanted to do for three-and-a-half quarters,” said Fitch coach Brian Beany. “They’re a team who scores in the upper 70’s. We had them in the mid 40’s.”
With the Falcons holding on to a 56-48 lead with four minutes left, the Aviators, led by one of the state’s leading scorers in J.J. Kukura and running mate Parrish Martin, attacked with a full-court press that produced steals on three straight Fitch possessions. As the Falcons’ fatigue finally set in, Alliance converted the three steals into five straight points, sparking a 12-3 run to close out the game and an impressive non-conference win.
“They slapped that press on at the end and we just didn’t handle it well,” Beany said. “The game was lost in the last three-and-a-half minutes. There’s just no other way to slice it.
“That got them back in it and that’s it. That’s the ball game right there.”
After Anthony Pangio’s basket put Fitch ahead by eight with just over four minutes left, Kukura, who averages 25 points per game, drove inside for a three-point play and cut Fitch’s lead to five. After Martin stole Fitch’s inbounds pass, he found Kukura for two more to bring Alliance to within two.
Martin then tied the game at 56 with a basket of his own and Kukura split a pair of free throws for a 57-56 lead with two minutes remaining.
On their next trip up court, Fitch leading scorer Jessie Driver found himself trapped between Kukura and Martin. Still in the backcourt with the 10-second clock winding down, Driver’s off-balance pass across the time line was intercepted by Kordelle Phillips. Phillips found Kukura streaking to the basket for a wide open lay-up to put the Falcons in a three-point hole.
“I think the press got us a little momentum,” said Alliance coach and Brookfield alumnus Larry Kukura. “We couldn’t score against their defense.
“Our guys got out and up the court. They turned it over and threw the ball away a few times.”
Driver, who scored 14 first-half points, was held to a lone 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Alex DiFrancesco added 13 points and Pangio was solid on both ends with 16 points and three blocks, but was forced to the bench with foul trouble with 2:30 left.
The Aviators (18-1) knew Driver was the key to stopping Fitch (17-4).
“I think the press got the ball out of his hands,” Kukura said. “We wanted to trap him near halfcourt and just try to get the ball out of his hands because it’s hard to guard him one-on-one.”
With one minute left, Martin, who scored 15 points, knocked down two free throws before Michael Butcher’s second 3-pointer of the game brought Fitch to within two.
Phillips sealed the win with two more free throws for the final margin of victory.
Fitch can tie a school record for regular season wins Friday when it hosts Liberty.