TIGERS DEFENSE BATTLES THROUGH TO VICTORY

 By Noah Ricks

HOWLAND CENTER, OH – In what was a low-scoring affair, Howland got the last laugh against Boardman. Steven Bubon, son of Howland head coach Dan Bubon, put in a clutch and-1 with 14.1 seconds left, ultimately leading the Tigers to a nail-biting 34-33 victory over the Spartans.

Neither team led by more than five in a game where only 67 combined points were cashed in. Howland only led 14-13 at halftime before the Spartans made it a game of lead changes in the final 32 minutes. Terrell McDowell would lead the Boardman charge with 9 points, including a crucial three-pointer off of a Howland turnover to give the Spartans a short-lived lead late in the contest.

Despite Howland’s offensive struggles, Bubon came in at the right time. Although he only scored 5 points on the night, they were all he needed as he found the open lane and put up the bank shot with pivotal contact from the Spartans. His foul shot would fall out, however, but the Tigers held off Boardman at the buzzer as a Spartan putback off an offensive rebound just fell out. Assisting Bubon on the night was Alex Henry with 11 points, along with another 8 points from John Perry.

Howland (9-9, 3-4 AAC) completes their first season sweep of the Spartans since the 2017-18 season. They will now head into a rematch at home on Tuesday as they welcome in rival  Canfield. The Cardinals won the first meeting 54-37 back on January 26th. Boardman (3-14, 0-7 AAC) will take a week off from play before they travel to North Canton Hoover next Friday night to end a two-game road stand. 

You can watch interviews with Howland head coach Dan Bubon and our YSN Live Player of the Game Steven Bubon below.