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Howland girls have eye on district play

Tribune Chronicle / Bob Ettinger Amber Rodriguez of Howland takes a shot over the defense of Madison Meeker (11) and Beady Titus (24) of Lakeview.

Tribune Chronicle / Bob Ettinger Amber Rodriguez of Howland takes a shot over the defense of Madison Meeker (11) and Beady Titus (24) of Lakeview.

Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo YSU's Chad Zallow, center, wins the 60-meter dash during Sunday's Horizon League Indoor Track and Field meet in Youngstown. Zallow won the 60 hurdles and 200 as well. Zallow led the men to a second straight league title, while the women won their third title in four years.The Howland Tigers girls basketball team are one win away from making it back to the Division II Austintown District title game, a game in which the Tigers lost to Lakeview a year ago, 47-40. While Howland won’t have to deal with the Bulldogs this year, the defensive-minded Tigers will still have some significant hurdles ahead of them.

Howland (19-5), the No. 2-seed, will face off against No. 5 Southeast tonight at 7:45. Should it win that game, Howland will deal with the winner of the West Branch/Struthers semifinal game, which pits No. 1 against No. 4, respectively.

However, before the Tigers can start looking ahead to a possible district title game return, they will have their hands full with a Pirates squad that just went on the road and defeated No. 3 Poland in a thriller, 72-71, last Thursday night.

“They got a really good freshman guard, (who) had 22 points against Poland,” veteran Tigers coach John Diehl explained. “They’re a very quick team, and they’re not very tall-pretty short. But they go seven deep and have the two twins (Riley and Danielle Norquest).”

The height matchup should be an interesting storyline in this game, as the Tigers have some towers in 6-foot-1 senior Sara Price — the Tigers’ best player and team leader in several categories, plus, 6-1 sophomore center Kayla Clark and 5-11 sophomore forward Alex Ochman.

According to Diehl, Ochman and Clark have been two of the team’s most improved players as of late, as both can give Howland “six to eight points (apiece) every night.” Ochman is currently shooting 50% from the field, while Clark is already looking like Howland’s next star, once Price graduates. Clark is averaging 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

However, all eyes will be on the previously mention Tiger standout, Price. Price is averaging 21.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 40.7 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from 3-point range, all of which lead the team.

Diehl says that his Tigers’ greatest team improvement of late is its offense, but at the end of the day, the focus is still that vaunted Howland defense, which is allowing just 38.6 points per contest. Howland held Girard to 30 points in the sectional semifinal, and followed that up by limiting Salem to 37 points in the sectional semifinal.

“We’re playing Salem and we’re leading, 13-1, with 56 seconds left in the first quarter. I look up at the scoreboard and I’m like, ‘That’s pretty good defense,’ Diehl said, laughing. “We’re more confident in our offense (than before), but the defense is still our greatest strength.”

Another area team, Boardman, will also play tonight. The Spartans, a No. 5-seed in the Division I Akron District tournament, are fresh off of a 52-50 win over Fitch last Thursday night. Boardman will face No. 2-seeded Stow-Munroe Falls at Akron St.Vincent-St. Mary’s High School at 6 p.m.

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