by Akron, Ohio – Thanks to a handful of key defensive stops and clutch free throw shooting, the visiting Hoban Knights knocked off the host Akron East Dragons, 64-59.
Hoban raced out to a double-digit lead Tuesday evening, thanks to the efforts of Will Scott and Joey Hardman. Scott had seven points in the quarter, as the Knights used their size on the inside to race out to a 25-17 lead.
Hoban would maintain the lead going into the half, 35-27.
Although the Dragons were undersized, they more than made up for it with their grit.
In the second half, the Dragons made their move, stepping up their aggression on defense, and making the most of every opportunity. East went on a 18-7 run to turn a 35-27 halftime deficit into a 45-44 lead late in the third quarter. The Dragons pushed their lead to 50-46 at the end of three. Mike Woodall was the X-factor for the Dragons, knocking down key shots in each half.
A pair of free throws from Kardiay Tyler made the score 59-54 with 3:05 to play.
However, the Knights would make their move down the stretch. Joey Hardman made a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 59-56. Jonas Nichols made a layup to cut the deficit to 59-58 with 2:23 left.
Thanks to another clutch defensive stop to force another turnover, Hoban took the lead with :55.3 to play, thanks to a pair of free throws from Jonas Nichols.
He would sink two more pairs of free throws to cap the game-sealing 10-0 run.
The Knight defense came up with another huge turnover on defense.
The Knights (4-1) travel to Orlando, Florida, for a holiday tournament next week. Jonas Nichols had 20 points, followed by 14 from Will Scott and 11 from Joey Hardman.
The Dragons (6-1) face Canton GlenOak next Tuesday, Dec. 27th. They were led by senior forward Mike Woodall, who had 27 points, followed by 11 from sophomore guard Kardiay Tyler.
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