HOWLAND COOLS OFF THE VIKINGS

Contributed By Noah Ricks

LEAVITTSBURG, OH – It was a Monday night out in Leavittsburg. Both Howland and LaBrae picked up first-round byes in their respective tournaments. This was the last regular season game for both squads. It was Howland, however, who would have the upper edge as the D2 school upended the D3 Vikings 56-38 on the road. Howland coach Dan Bubon enjoyed the fact that his team picked up a convincing 18-point victory over a respected area powerhouse like LaBrae.

“It’s a big win going into the tournament because we beat a really good program tonight. In the last 15 to 20 years, this is one of the best programs in the area. We knew we were going to be in for a fight tonight, and I’m really happy with the second half. Anytime you come here and win by double-digits, that’s a really good win going into the tournament.”

The Tigers would not be without their struggles in the first half, being down 12-4 at one point in the first quarter, but they kept themselves in the ball game thanks to key finishes down low and transition points off of turnovers. Despite some missed layups at some points in the contest, they put the ball in the hole when it mattered. They would keep the Vikings, who were playing their fourth game in six days, on their toes throughout that second half. Bubon was aware of his team’s mistakes, but was pleased with the adjustments.

“We finished inside better, but we still missed three or four layups in the second half. I thought we got some good looks in the first half and just missed and then had some careless turnovers, couldn’t get into a rhythm, but the defense is what did it. Anytime you hold a team like that to 38 points, you’re giving yourself opportunities to transition off of rebounds, off of steals, and that’s where we started to get some easy passes.’’

After Anthony Massucci made a three-pointer in the final seconds of the first half to tie the game up at 23-23, the Tigers went roaring from there. Thanks to guys like Massucci, Gabe Badea, and Alex Henry, they outscored the Vikings in the second half 33-15. Massucci, who went on a 12-point run in the fourth after being held to just three points in the first three quarters, would end the night with a triple-double with 15 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. Bubon used the locker room adjustments to his advantage and thanked his defense for the big run in the final sixteen minutes.

“Just to relax on offense. Keep playing defense as hard as they were. At halftime, we were on our way to holding them to 46 points, and we ended up holding them to 38 points. If you do that, you have got a great chance to win. We played a bad half offensively. We thought if we relaxed and played our normal game, we would be ok.”

The Tigers end the regular season at 13-9 with the victory. They will have a first-round bye in the Division 2 Ashtabula District before playing in the Sectional Finals on Friday against the winner of the Struther-NDCL semi-final tomorrow night. Bubon and his team will head down to the Struthers Fieldhouse tomorrow night to scout and prepare.

“Well, we’re going to go watch the game tomorrow night at Struthers and see who wins. We have seen Struthers multiple times this year. We scrimmaged them. They’re a really good offensive team. They’ll be a great challenge, but NDCL, I’m sure they have a chance, because NDCL will come out of Cleveland and play a really tough schedule. They’re not going to roll over tomorrow night, so I’m sure it will be a good battle and we’ll see who we’ll play and go from there.”

Canfield ends the regular season at 15-5 with the loss. They will also have a first-round bye as they will host a Sectional Final on Friday against the winner of the Southeast-Waterloo semi-final. That game is part of the Division 3 Howland District and is slated for a 7:00 P>M. tip.

YSN’s Noah Ricks got a chance to talk to winning coach Dan Bubon following tonight’s contest. You can watch the full interview below.

*Contributed By YSN’s Noah Ricks

Postgame Interview With Dan Bubon: