Pictured is JoJo Bailey
The Mansfield Sr Tigers have found their kryptonite and it comes in the form of reptiles. After a close loss to the Magazine Rattlers last week, the Tigers squared off against the Mountainburg Dragons on Tuesday, January 12th. Unfortunately, the Tigers have yet to find a cure for herpetophobia as they fell to the Dragons 64-53.
Mansfield regained part of their potent lineup back with Tyler Escalante coming back from an injury in the Magazine game last week. As great as it was having Escalante back, it was one step forward and two steps back for the Mansfield roster as the Tigers went into the game without their two big men Zayne Dugan and Bri Sanderson. Be it as it may, the Tigers went to work against a bigger Mountainburg team and gave the Dragons a Knights welcome by jumping to an early 13-9 lead in the first quarter.
That was when the battle really got underway. Mountainburg used their size advantage against the Tigers to get board points while sucking Mansfield into the paint. If only the Tigers remembered what Gial Ackbar said in Star Wars “It’s A Trap”! With the Tigers covering the interior, Mountainburg began to tee off with 3 point shots from the perimeter. The outside shots gave Mountainburg just enough to go into the half with a 29-25 lead.
After the half, it was game on for both teams. Every time the Tigers would claw down the court to take the lead, the Dragons would set the court on fire to regain it. Going into the final quarter of the game Mansfield was down by a lone point 41-40. Unfortunately, the Tigers incurred some foul trouble along the way which sent Mountainburg’s sharpshooters to the free-throw line. At that point, the Dragons began to pull away slowly but surely on the scoreboard. The Tigers never let up though giving it all they had, but it just wasn’t in the cards for Mansfield as they dropped to Mountainburg 64-53 in their second conference loss in a row.
Without Sanderson & Dugan (aka The Board Behemoths) for support, the whole team had to step up big time and they did. Codi Chick rounded up 19 stellar points in the game while his partner in crime, JoJo Bailey brought in 12 points. Clint Stovall opened up what could be called his best overall performance of the season and sank 10 points. Drew Elmore faced the giants of Mountainburg head-on and posted up for 7 hard-fought points. And Ethan Pettus and Tyler Escalante paired up for a combined 5 points.
Back to back losses could set most teams back, but not these Tigers. They are now solely focused on this Friday night’s homecoming game as they prepare to send the JC Westside Rebels down the road whistlin’ Dixie all the way home.
