Pictured is Layton Howard
The Mansfield Sr High Tigers are having one crazy conference week as there has been zero time to rest. The Tigers got the party started on Tuesday, January 14 as they took on the West Fork Tigers. Mansfield got the 53-50 win by the skin of their teeth but a wins a win. Ethan Stovall and Layton Howard led the scoring with 13 points each while Codi Chick made nine, Tyler Holmes got seven, and Bri Sanderson earned five points and seven rebounds.
“We battled with foul trouble throughout the game. Two starters fouled out early in the 4th. With an already thin lineup due to injuries and illness, we had multiple players step up into new roles that contributed to the road victory. Sophomore guard Tyler Escalante went 4/4 from the free-throw line to secure the Tiger win in the closing seconds of the ballgame,” stated Coach Keith Dake.
The next night, the Tigers hit the road again this time heading to Greenland to face the Pirates. Although Mansfield was able to keep Greenland in check for most of the game, the Tigers took a 39-31 loss to end the night. Layton Howard led his team in scoring with 13 points while Ethan Stovall chipped in seven and Jaicy Griffin netted five. “This was a hard-fought defensive battle. The Tigers worked the ball and had multiple opportunities to score, but just wasn’t able to capitalize on the offensive end.”
“I was pleased with our ball movement and intensity early in the game and had the lead going into halftime. In a game where both teams struggled to score and playing just 24 hours after a hard-fought road win, it seemed like nothing we shot went in. By the 4th quarter, the back to back long road games were starting to kick in. But even fatigued, our guys continued to fight through all four quarters but without any success on the offensive end.”
The (5-8) Mansfield Tigers will be back in action Friday, January 17 against the (7-5) Charleston Tigers at Charleston starting at 6 p.m. Charleston sits undefeated 4-0 in conference play while Mansfield is 1-4.
