Boys Basketball: Fenwick done in by Howard’s hot hand

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Updated: February 22, 2012 12:17PM

It didn’t matter where on the floor he was or who was guarding him or how closely, Brian Howard seemingly couldn’t miss a shot.

The St. Ignatius guard was so hot from the floor in the first half in the Catholic League North game against Fenwick that the Wolfpack had the game sewed up early on its way to a 59-38 win.

“He was really stupendous tonight,” Wolfpack coach Rich Kehoe said. “You should see him in practice. Sometimes he does that. But tonight it was the best in a game for sure maybe even a practice.”

No. 11 St, Ignatius (16-3, 6-1) never trailed and Howard was red-hot from the start. The senior point guard started the scoring off by hitting a runner. After that, he connected on four straight three-pointers with each one coming further away from the basket and from different spots on the floor.

“The coaching staff gave me opportunities to get my shot tonight,” Howard said. “I prepared very well for this game and it all came out on the floor tonight.”

Howard’s three at the first quarter buzzer made the score 16-7; he was responsible for 11 of those points. The Wolfpack continued the onslaught in the second quarter and went up 35-12 at halftime. With each three he put up, the large Ignatius student body grew louder and more boisterous. Howard finally missed a shot midway through the second quarter. He made five of his six three-point tries in the half.

“We just didn’t have an answer for him,” Fenwick coach John Quinn said. “We tried three different kids but if he had a foot of separation it was going to go in.”

Howard finished with 28 points and sat for most of the fourth quarter. Marty McClure finished with 10 points and Peter Ryckbosch hauled down 10 rebounds for Ignatius.

Sophomore William St. Clair came off the bench to lead Fenwick (5-11, 2-5) with nine points.