Staff photo / Brian Yauger Howland junior Jackson Mickel, right, goes for a layup in the first half past the defense of Harding’s Khi Evans during Tuesday’s game at Warren G. Harding High School.

WARREN — Round two between Harding and Howland came down to the final minutes once again. Like the first meeting, the Tigers closed the game out late, and completed the season sweep over their rival, taking down the Raiders, 47-42.

It took playing a different way than they normally do, but Howland adjusted and it worked.

“(Harding is) struggling against zone right now. We’re not a zone team. We played zone the whole game, and we never do that,” Tigers coach Dan Bubon said. “We stayed disciplined and scored enough in the fourth quarter. They’re great on defense. We struggled to get shots in the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, we got better looks and scored. That was the difference.”

Luca Naples led the Tigers with 13 points.

“Luca’s been really good. He’s so small, and that wouldn’t strike you as a damn good basketball player, but he is. He can handle the ball, he can shoot the ball, he’s playing more in a rhythm this year,” Bubon said. “He’s been a point guard his whole life, and we’ve really taken him off the ball because we have two other kids that can handle it, so he doesn’t have to handle it as much, which is getting (Demetri Gentis and Jackson Mickel) some better looks, because they’re really good shooters.”

Senior Myles Miller led the way for the Raiders with a game-high 14 points.

This is Harding’s fifth-straight loss. Eight of the team’s 10 losses this season have been by 10 or less points.

The Raiders (5-10, 0-6 AAC) look to get right on Friday when they hit the road to play Massillon.

For Warren Harding coach Keelyn Franklin, it’s a matter of effort. While the deck has been stacked against the Raiders, battling through injuries to the starting lineup, they’re failing to do the little things.

“We need to play with pride,” Franklin said. “We need to play with some heart, we need to play with some energy, some enthusiasm. It has to matter to us. When things matter, you can look out there and tell. Even if you win, lose or draw, a team that is competing, a team that it matters to. You can tell. Right now sometimes that is in question, so it’s my job to find the right guys to put out there that you know are going to compete and give it their all no matter what.”

Howland moves to 9-6 on the season and 3-2 in All-American Conference play.

While sitting in third in the hotly-contested AAC, Tuesday’s game gives the Tigers an opening. Their next two games are against Canfield and Fitch, the two teams they trail in the league.

While the league crown is an important goal for Howland, they’re also aiming for something higher.

“We’re trying to compete in this league, and if we have a chance to win it, we’re gonna try to win it,” Bubon said. “Then the biggest thing is trying to get that first district title in school history. In the last five years, we’ve made it to the district finals twice. That’s two of only five times in the history of the school they’ve been to a district final. … It’d be a hell of a stretch to get to three district finals in a five-year stretch, and then hopefully get one. That’s what we’re building toward.

“There’s some brutal teams in Division III, but when we play well, I just don’t think anybody is going to run away from us. If we play well, I think we’ll be in the game with everyone, and at the end of the year, all you’re hoping is to get there and have a chance.”