“I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying” – Michael Jordan. The Mansfield Tigers have had their fair share of wins and losses early on this season. The narrow margin that has separated the Tigers and their opponents in those games has proved that their effort is not a matter of question. On Thursday, December 29th Mansfield took on an extremely talented Vian Wolverines team at the Today’s Bank/Bill Frye Invitational and put on quite a show.

The opening tip-off was all you had to see for an indication of how the game would go as Zach Hayslip and a Vian player crashed mid-air for the ball. Once the dust settled, both teams showcased their defenses by creating turnovers back and forth for more than a minute in the first quarter. Vian was the first to make a crucial mistake though as Drew Elmore went up for a three-on-one put-back to draw a foul. Elmore swished his two free throws giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Vian would answer though with a three-point shot but Elmore regained the Tigers lead by powering into the boards for a board bucket. Winston Allison dropped back to drain a three-point shot for Mansfield to stretch the scoreboard out and Drew Elmore was fouled again giving the Tigers the score plus one. With Mansfield having momentum and a 10-3 lead, Vian was forced to call a time-out. Clint Stovall sank a soft shot after the short break, but Vian went on a seven-point run against the Tigers to make Mansfield call time out with 1:48 left in the quarter. Another Winston Allison three-pointer along with Drew Elmore connecting on a rebound and put back kept Mansfield in the lead, but barely. Vian would free-throw their way back into contention as the Tigers ended the first quarter with a slim 18-17 lead over the Wolverines.

After the quarter break, Vian took their first lead of the game on free throws and followed it up with some full-court defense against the Tigers. The pressure slowed Mansfield’s high-powered offense down just enough for both teams to trade knockout shots back and forth for the lead. Clint Stovall and Drew Elmore knocked down a pair of short shots but Vian was right there to close the gap again after each shot. With 3:07 left in the half and a 22-22 tied ballgame that could shift in anyone’s favor, Vian called their second time out. Mansfield’s players knew they had to go all out to keep the Wolverines at bay. Winston Allison put up a short shot duce to retake the lead for the Tigers and that’s when the assist asset kicked in for Mansfield. Drew Elmore dished the rock to Greyson Baggett for a layup and Winston Allison followed suit with an assist pass to Clint Stovall for a board bucket. Stovall then hit a three-pointer on the Wolverines to get Tigers fans roaring on their feet. Vian wouldn’t lay down though as they methodically and patiently drew fouls and free throw by free throw inched their way closer on the scoreboard as the half ended with Mansfield narrowly leading the Wolverines 31-29.

Mansfield knew they would have a fight on their hands as Vian cranked down hard with their full-court defense on the Tigers after halftime. The pressure created issues, but Mansfield found a way to squeeze past it with a Clint Stovall floater for two points. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the pressure wasn’t a one-and-done game plan for Vian, it wasn’t meant to slowly wear Mansfield down. The effects of Vian’s plan began to become visible as Mansfield struggled to get down the court on a few possessions and began to turn the ball over more. Even though Mansfield was able to still put up points with Drew Elmore, Clint Stovall, and Zach Hayslip the points came few and far between. Vian on the other hand was able to keep the game close by making free throws and continually forcing turnovers. The Wolverines had their breakout performance at the end of the third quarter as they took a 41-37 lead over Mansfield with three straight breakaways for layups.

As the fourth quarter began, everyone in the stands could already see that this game was going to have a barnburner finish. Neither Mansfield nor Vian would walk off the court with anything left in the tank as the two teams gave the fans their money’s worth. Winston Allison dropped a fadeaway three from downtown to start the Tigers off hot in the fourth quarter but the Wolverines were quick to score back-to-back on Mansfield. Drew Elmore literally took the bumps for Mansfield as he was fouled each time he went up for putback points. Elmore made his shots, but the Tigers also fouled down the stretch to send the Wolverines to the line multiple times. Vian went to the free throw line more often than the Tigers though allowing them to pull away with a 55-43 win over Mansfield.

Mansfield’s loss to Vian was another thriller but unfortunately, thrillers don’t register on the scoreboards. The loss doesn’t put Mansfield in the loser’s bracket, but it does keep them from their goal of making the championship game. So with the Vian game behind them, Mansfield will set a new goal for a new opponent. The Tigers will go into the final day of the Today’s Bank/Bill Frye Invitational playing for third place against the Elkins Elks with a tipoff of 4:20pm.

The Mansfield Tigers have been looking for that one key game to push them into overdrive. With each win and loss this season being close, Mansfield needed a “we’re for real” game to showcase to their fans. What better format to do that in than the Bill Frye Invitational? Having a home-court advantage in front of a home crowd for a tournament named after a legendary former coach is the perfect formula to prove a point. On Wednesday, December 28th the Tigers capitalized in every way against the Two Rivers Gators to show that they are indeed for real.

Mansfield started off the game behind the three-point shots of Clint Stovall and Winston Allison to go up 6-0 over the Gators. The Tigers followed up their long-range shots with a powerful put-back score by Drew Elmore which sent the Tiger faithful into a frenzy and forced Two Rivers to call an early time-out. When the action resumed, Mansfield picked up right where they left off but this time it was Zach Hayslip with the powerful board bucket. The Tigers offense was on fire while their defense had the Gators on ice. Two Rivers tried to use screens to get past Mansfield, but the Tigers defensive communication on the floor was next level allowing them to shut down the Gators at every step. Mansfield dominated the boards as well with each offensive rebound being put back up for points. The Tigers completely owned the first quarter with a 16-0 shutout of Two Rivers.

Normally, the first quarter can be seen as a mulligan with the second quarter giving teams a chance to adjust from first quarter mistakes. Two Rivers made adjustments, but the Tigers twisted the Gators back to square one by continuing to play flawless basketball. Ryan Hayslip made the first twist with a smooth layup through a congregation of Gators. Travis Tobey kept Two Rivers reeling with an unopposed three-pointer. As soon as Tobey’s shot went through the net, Winston Allison stole the ball and made a full-court pass to Cole Kindle who drained another three-point shot on the Gators. Two Rivers pulled their defense out from the boxes to stop the Tigers sharpshooters but were only burnt at the boards by Braxton Byers and Clint Stovall. Mansfield would not be denied and continued to pour it on the Gators. Clint Stovall let go of the last drop of the Tigers gullywasher first half with a fast-break layup to give Mansfield a 34-13 lead going into halftime.

Mansfield faced a stiff full-court defense by the Gators to start the second half. The additional pressure by Two Rivers was effective at first, but the Tigers found a way to claw past the Gators aggressive defense and went right back to lighting up the scoreboard. Drew Elmore, Clint Stovall, and Zach Hayslip said “see ya later alligator” as they breezed by Two Rivers defenders for multiple layups and putbacks. All of the points were made possible by the impeccable movement of the ball by Mansfield which left Two Rivers spread out on the floor. As the lead continued to grow and the quarter began to close, new faces found their way onto the court. New to the game, but just as dangerously skilled, Austin Ruiz sank a sweet swish on a three-pointer and was followed up by Greyson Baggett who dropped in a last-second layup to send the Tigers into the fourth and final quarter with a commanding 48-18 lead.

As the fourth quarter began, the Tigers rotated more players onto the hardwood. Although Mansfield only put up two points in the final quarter of the game, their defense remained fully intact as they cruised to a 50-23 victory over Two Rivers to advance to the winners bracket of the Bill Frye Invitational. “I thought our defensive effort was the best we’ve had this year,” said Head Coach Joshua Brown. “Our decision making was good and what their defense gave us. We played smart transition basketball by pushing it when it was there and backing out when it wasn’t. It was a great overall team effort”. With Mansfield proving quite an impressive point against the Gators, they now have to keep that point sharp as they face the fierce Vian Wolverines for Round2 of the invitational. Vian overcame a close game early against Mulberry to pull off a 20-point win. Mansfield will be ready for anything from Vian though as they eye a spot in the Bill Frye Invitational on Friday, December 30th.