The Mansfield SR Lady Tigers stood tall on the final day of the Bill Frye Invitational. With an exhilarating win over Mulberry and a heartbreaking loss to Shiloh Christian behind them, Mansfield was ready to close the tournament on a high note against a feisty Vian Lady Wolverines program. Two of the baddest animal mascots on the court at the same time, but only one could be
Sadie Roberts jumped to the ceiling to give the Lady Tigers their first possession of the game and there was no looking back from there. Both teams took their time getting a feel for each other, but once things began clicking everyone knew this would be a thriller. Skylynn Harris snatched the ball from a Lady Wolverine then dished it to Sadie Roberts who put the Lady Tigers on the board. Kynslee “Warrior” Ward took the Lady Wolverine to town with back-to-back layups as Mansfield began to punish Vian. The gritty Lady Wolverines wouldn’t give up though and close out the first quarter with a 13-8 lead over Mansfield.
Only being down by five points entering the 2nd quarter, someone of the Lady Tigers team would have to take charge. Ward took that statement literally as she took a charge from a Vian player giving Mansfield the ball back. Alyson Edwards uncharacteristically stepped away from the post position to drain a three-point shot which got the fans on their feet. Skylynn Harris decided if one post can do it, then why not take the shot. She did and wa-la sank a three of her own. Although Mansfield had the momentum, the Lady Wolverines endeavored to persevere as both teams played tic-tac-toe on the scoreboard leaving Mansfield down by four points going into halftime with a 25-24 score in Vians favor.
Vian started the 3rd quarter with the ball but turned it over right off the bat with a travel call. Once Mansfield got down court after the turnover, Alyson Edwards was fouled, sending her to the line where she hit one of two shots. No one knew what team would pull out with a win until Sadie Roberts became a sniper beyond the perimeter. Roberts riddled off three three-pointers in the 3rd quarter giving Mansfield their first lead of the night at 41-38 with 2:35 left in the quarter. Skylynn Harris again took it as a challenge and downed a three of her own. Alyson Edwards stole the ball from Vian to close the 3rd quarter out with the Lady Tigers ahead of Vian 48-41.
The Lady Tiger then became opportunists in the 4th quarter as Vian started shooting themselves in the foot rather than shooting for points. The Lady Wolverines had a starter foul out early in the 4th quarter and Mansfield began clawing the floor from there. Vians was fouling on rebounds against Alyson Edwards who put up five points from free throws. Mansfield landed in foul trouble also having a starter foul out, two players with four fouls, and two with three. With a slim roster, Mansfield had to play the perfect game for the final three minutes of the game. No one is perfect, but a team isn’t “one”. A team is many and the Lady Tigers tacked on points from Skylnn Harris, Natalie Allyson, and Alyson Edwards to beat Vian 61-56.
The victory gave Mansfield a 2-1 record and 3rd place in the Bill Frye Invitational. The Lady Tigers may be done with this tournament, but they are far from done with their season.
Alyson Edwards led the team in scoring for the third game in a row with 25 points in the game. Sadie Roberts hot-handed shots racked up 16 points. Skylynn Harris lit up the scoreboard with 13 points. Kynslee Ward knocked down 4 points, Natalie Allyson had 2 points, and Seven Sanderson finished off the scoring with a 1 point free throw. This group of players has played with each other winning championships since their early little league years and more championships are what they’re eyeing for 2021-22. Things will only get better as Mansfield will welcome back three players when they face the New School Panthers on January 4th.
