SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Everyone knows Malina Howard is the center of attention for the Twinsburg girls basketball team. You don't have to tell the 6-4 junior that opponents are concerned with her presence at both ends of the floor. But the Tigers, ranked No. 1 in The Plain Dealer Top 25, also have a supporting cast that can...
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Everyone knows Malina Howard is the center of attention for the Twinsburg girls basketball team. You don't have to tell the 6-4 junior that opponents are concerned with her presence at both ends of the floor.
But the Tigers, ranked No. 1 in The Plain Dealer Top 25, also have a supporting cast that can cause plenty of problems.
Shaker Heights will attest to that after getting dealt its first loss of the season, 69-56, on Thursday as part of the school's three-day Bob Wonson Classic, a showcase of games in honor of the late boys coach.
"I thought we played as a team," said Howard, who scored 20 points in the victory over the fifth-ranked Raiders (7-1). "It was more about the team than an individual. I have teammates filling my spot."
The Tigers (6-0) needed that support group because Howard had to deal with foul trouble. She picked up her fourth and went to the bench with 3:11 left in the third quarter and the Tigers in front, 42-30.
If the Raiders were going to mount a comeback, that was the time to do it. But with sophomore guard Ashley Morrissette scoring seven of her 16 points, and senior forward Nicole Carman holding her ground inside, the Tigers never missed a beat as they increased the lead to 55-34.
"You had two undefeated teams coming in, so it was a big game for us," said Morrissette, who got most of her points on drives to the basket. "We wanted to get in our offense. They wanted to push the ball more."
The only time the Raiders could play their up-tempo game was in the first half as the teams traded baskets in spurts. Senior guard Chyress Lockhart scored 13 straight points to keep her club within striking distance at the break, 33-24.
But too many missed shots and turnovers never let the home club mount a serious challenge after that.
"They are number one for a reason," said Shaker Heights coach Mike Coreno. "They have a 6-4 player on offense and a 6-4 player on defense. We knew what they were going to do and we didn't do a good enough job on the help side. It's a learning experience and we'll regroup."
The Tigers defeated the Raiders in a district final last season, so Coreno said his club's goal is to get another shot at them.
Twinsburg had two other players in double figures with junior guard Leah Fechko scoring 14 points and Carman contributing 12.
"Nicole Carman is an unsung hero for us," Twinsburg coach Julie Solis said. "She does a lot of good things. We have to figure out how to keep [Howard] on the floor. But it means kids are getting experience and that should help down the stretch."
Lockhart, who also had to sit for a time with four fouls, finished with a game-high 28 points. Senior guard Shelby Stokes added 13 points for the Raiders.