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Girard knocks off LaBrae
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Girard’s Tyler Kilbourne (42) shoots while being defended by Labrae’s Grant Sprague (44) during the third quarter of Monday’s tournament game at Howland High School. Girard won, 64-53.
By Ryan Buck
HOWLAND
The Girard High boys basketball team had a tall task in front of it — about 79 inches to be exact. And the Indians were up to the challenge.
Girard scored 13 unanswered first quarter points, withstood 30 points from LaBrae’s All-Ohio forward Peyton Aldridge and left the Howland High gymnasium with a 64-53 Division III district semifinal win over the defending district and regional champions.
Girard held Aldridge, a 6-foot-7 senior committed to play college basketball at Davidson (N.C.) College, scoreless in the opening quarter and forged the lead it would not relinquish.
“They did miss some easy ones early,” said second-year Girard coach Craig Hannon, “and that helped because it easily could have been a tie game at the end of the first quarter.
“We mixed in a lot of defenses tonight — we were in one of them for the most part — but our kids do a good job of knowing what we’re in and what we’re trying to do in each one of them.”
Girard guard Jim Standohar paced the Indians with 10 first-half points and his timely scoring countered Aldridge, who had 10 of his own in the second, including six in a row as Girard was looking to pull away.
“We just tried to make him work as hard as he could and keep people around him at all times,” Hannon said.
Aldridge, who towered over every other player on the court by half a foot, was the focus of both teams and each was well aware of it. LaBrae edged Girard, 49-47, barely three weeks ago thanks to 21 Aldridge points and the Vikings went back to their star time and again.
“[Girard] had a nice game plan,” said LaBrae coach Chad Kiser. “We went back inside to Peyton in the second half and that got us back into it a little bit.”
Aldrige added nine more in the third, mostly post-up turnaround layups and short jumpers over the usually two or three Girard defenders guarding him. Grant Sprague’s 3-pointer preceded an Aldridge layup to bring the Viking to within seven as the third quarter came to a close.
Then Evan Standohar, Jim’s cousin, made his presence felt. The senior, who has spent his youth matching up with Aldridge on courts across the Mahoning Valley, converted two straight Girard baskets to put them back ahead by double digits with seven minutes to play.
LaBrae cut its lead to eight with four minutes left when a play Hannon inserted into the game plan midway through the season came to fruition.
“We thought it would work against any press they came with,” said Evan, who beat the LaBrae defense downcourt after a made basket. “We usually have a guy opposite of the ball and he should be open with a long pass.”
Deonte Brown dribbled through LaBrae’s desperation full-court press and found him alone in the right corner for a wide open dagger of a 3-point jumper for a 53-42 lead with 3:15 left.
“I had struggled with the shot a little bit and had to find some confidence,” said Evan, who finished with 13 points. “I told myself that I gotta knock this one down.”
As well as Girard played defensively, its balance on offense was just as evident.
“All their players play their roles,” Aldridge said, “starting with both Standohars — Jimmy and Evan.
“They’re really hard to stop. If you help on penetration, they’re going to kick it out and knock down the shots. They played really well tonight.”
LaBrae crept back to within six points with 1:31 left, but outside jumpers weren’t falling once the Indians collapsed on Aldridge and the Vikings were forced to foul.
Tyler Kilbourne converted six free throws — part of a team-high 18 points — to ensure the Indians’ appearance in Friday night’s district title game against the winner of tonight’s Newton Falls and Ursuline matchup.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet and things are moving so fast.” Hannon said.
“Here we are.”