There's no place like home for the Howland Tigers, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Friday. They came out on top against Austintown-Fitch by a score of 49-40 on Tuesday. The win was all the more spectacular given Howland's disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 312th, while the Falcons are ranked 100th).
Alex Henry continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 17 points along with five assists and two steals. John Perry was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with eight rebounds and three blocks.
Austintown-Fitch's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Allen Hill jr, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Marcel Finkley, who scored ten points along with three steals.
Howland's win bumped their record up to 8-9. As for Austintown-Fitch, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Howland will take on the Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Boardman has now lost 13 straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 9. As for Austintown-Fitch, they will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Fighting Irish at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Ursuline's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last six games.
