GLEN OAK SNEAKS PAST THE FALCONS

By Tim Corso 

AUSTINTOWN OH- Glen Oak snuck past Fitch 53-50 in boys’ basketball action Tuesday Night.

In what was a back-and-forth game all night, the Eagles used Ja’Corey Lipkins’ 31-point effort to shoot down the Falcons in their own gym.

Lipkins knocked down two clutch free throws to put the lead at three with just 3.5 seconds remaining.

The game wasn’t all Glen Oak as Fitch got out to a 9-0 start, forcing the Eagles to use a timeout after going scoreless for more than half of the first quarter.

Whatever adjustments Canton made worked as they got the deficit down to just three heading into the half.

Late into the third quarter, Lipkins took over.

He knocked down a pair of three-pointers in what turned a 35-34 Falcon lead into a 42-35 Glen Oak lead.

For most of the night, whatever Lipkins threw at Fitch, DeShawn Vaughn and Marcel Finkley had an answer for it.

Finkley answered multiple Eagle three-pointers and hit the clutch shot to tie the game late.

Vaughn also hit a couple big shots down the stretch to keep his squad in the game.

When it came down to it, Finkley’s 24 and Vaughn’s 12 weren’t enough to propel Fitch past Glen Oak and Lipkins.

Neither team had another place reach double-figures on the night.

Glen Oak improves to 13-5, while Fitch drops to 10-7.