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Big rebound
Howland’s Clark is healthy, confident
By Dan Hiner
Boardman
At this time last year, Howland forward Kayla Clark was on the bench with a torn ACL as the Tigers prepared for the postseason. Now Clark and Alex Ochman have become quite the duo.
Clark and Ochman combined to score 27 points in Howland’s 48-39 win over Boardman at Boardman High School on Monday.
Clark led the Tigers with 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks while Ochman scored a game-high 15 points.
Clark was uncertain how her knee would handle playing again, but performances like Monday’s help her become more confident as the season draws to a close.
“Especially coming off a knee injury and coming back onto the team, finding my spot back on the team was a little rough at first,” Clark said.
This year isn’t the first time Howland’s dynamic duo dominated the court. Ochman and Clark played on the same AAU team prior to high school. The chemistry between the two seniors has developed more as their careers progressed.
“Ever since freshman year when she came from Jackson-Milton, we just really, really clicked,” Ochman said. “We played AAU together and just got it back recently [after] last year.”
The Tigers (13-6, 6-2 All-American Conference Red Tier) lost their first game against the Spartans on Jan. 12. Since then, Howland has won six in a row, including two wins over Warren Harding and one against Canfield.
The Spartans (10-8, 3-5) trailed 38-32 in with 5:28 left in the fourth quarter before losing Maria Torres to a right leg injury. She did not return.
With Torres out, Raegan Burkey took on the extra scoring load, but it wasn’t enough. Burkey finished with 12 points and Torres had 11 and six rebounds.
“I thought everybody went in, hustled and got after it and tried to make plays,” Boardman head coach Jeff Hammerton said.
“When your leading scorer’s off the floor for as long as [Torres] was off the floor, it’s hard to get into any offensive rhythm.”
Howland outscored the Spartans 8-1 in a three-minute span following Torres’ injury. Ochman scored six points and Clark had two during the stretch.
Clark’s play from the opening tip to the final whistle proved that she’s back to her old self.
“I couldn’t feel any better doing that,” Clark said. “I really, really have come far from where I was last year at this time, sitting on the bench.”
The two teams are trending in opposite directions with the postseason only beginning next week.
Boardman is the seventh seed in the Division I Ravenna district. The Spartans lost their fifth straight, and with the team uncertain about Torres’ injury, Hammerton told his players to step up.
“I told the girls in there, ‘Hey, it’s gut-check time.’ These are the teams we want to play heading into the tournament,” Hammerton said. “Let’s see what we get getting after people, and hopefully when the tournament comes around, we’ll be better for it for playing these good teams.”
Howland is the fifth seed in the Division II Austintown Fitch district. The Tigers had the same record last year when the brackets were released. They were the No. 2 seed in the district.
Diehl was disappointed with the lower seed this year, but knows he has his duo leading his frontcourt.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to coach against it,” Howland coach John Diehl said. “Not with smaller girls. That’s for sure.”
499 and counting
The win was Diehl’s 499th career victory. He still has his eyes on the Red Tier title, but win No. 500 will come soon if his girls continue to play well.
“We’re hoping somebody can beat Fitch, they’re a game ahead of us, and obviously we gotta beat Canfield to end the year,” Diehl said. “But right now we’re playing really well. We played well tonight."
Howland hosts Ashtabula Lakeside on Wednesday.