The Mansfield 7th Grade Lady Tigers recently fell short to the undefeated Cedarville Lady Pirates in a tough game on Monday, January 13th. “Our improvement over the course of the last few weeks has been in great strides,” explains Coach Joshua Bryan. “This group continues to work hard and their willingness to learn is showing more and more each day.” The Lady Pirates took the 16-9 treasure but the Lady Tigers aren’t letting this discourage them. Their improvement up to this point of the season is proof enough that Mansfield is only getting started.
The Lady Tigers kept it close at halftime 10-5 with Cedarville leading but just couldn’t keep a tight grip on the scoreboard. Shelbie Fuller led her team offensively with four points in the books along with five rebounds and one steal. Trinity Triska played with speed and agility giving her three points, one rebound, and three steals. “The girls are becoming more patient with the ball and not forcing as much as they have been at the start of the season. We reverted back to that bad habit a few times during the game and Cedarville capitalized on it. Take away our forced turnovers and it’s a 1 point ball game.”
Maylei Rogers is always a powerhouse when she hits the court knocking opponents out of the ring as she dominates the game. Rogers brought in two points, six rebounds, and two steals. Ambria Whittaker, Presley Curry, and Kaylie Lowery accomplished rim control duty as they successfully earned a combined eight rebounds. “Our hustle is more than it has been because our girls are getting used to the speed of the game and knowledge of their positions on the floor. We’re covering the help side and rebounding much better on defense; again knowledge of the game.”
“The 7th Grade girls have an abundance of intellectual and athletic young ladies that will only continue to get better the more they play the game. If they keep growing at their current pace, they’ll be ready for junior high next year.” The 7th Grade Lady Tigers will next play the Charleston Lady Tigers on Thursday, January 16th at home at 4:30 p.m.
