RAIDERS SPOIL SENIOR NIGHT IN FITCH

By Ty Bartell

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio — The Warren G. Harding Raiders claimed a hard-fought 51-41 victory over the Austintown-Fitch Falcons in a tough-nosed All American Conference (AAC) basketball matchup on Friday night, spoiling the Falcons’ senior night.
From the opening tip-off, the Raiders asserted their dominance, building an early lead over the Falcons. By the end of the first quarter, Harding held a commanding 11-4 advantage. The Raiders maintained their lead throughout the second quarter, heading into halftime with a 23-15 lead.

However, the Falcons came out firing in the third quarter, mounting a spirited comeback. With a strong offensive surge, Austintown-Fitch outscored Harding 19-10 in the period, taking their first lead of the game at 34-33 as the teams headed into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Warren Harding’s defense stepped up, stifling the Falcons and limiting their scoring opportunities. The Raiders’ impressive defensive effort, coupled with clutch performances from Gummy Hart, who scored 10 of his 12 points in the final quarter, secured the 51-41 victory for Harding. The Colemans also made significant contributions, with both Chaz Coleman and Ny Coleman posting 10 points each.

Despite the loss, Marcel Finkley led the scoring for Austintown-Fitch with an impressive game-high 18 points, supported by Allen Hill, who contributed 14 points.

With the win, Warren Harding improves to a 12-8 record overall and 6-2 in conference play, securing second place in the AAC. The Raiders will now prepare to face the Farrell Steelers

(17-4) on Tuesday, February 20th, with a 7 p.m. tip-off. Meanwhile, Austintown-Fitch (11-9, 4-4) will aim to bounce back against the Highland Hornets (11-8) also on Tuesday, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
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