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By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Mansfield Lady Lions advanced to the Class 2 quarterfinal round with a 42-40 win over the Newburg Lady Wolves.
After the Lady Lions led for nearly the entire game, Newburg snuck back into contention in the final minutes. The Lady Wolves were effective at the free throw line down the stretch, adding five points from the charity stripe. Then with three minutes on the clock, Macy Suschanke fired a three to bring the Lady Wolves within one. Chloe Lansdown widened Mansfield’s lead back to two with a successful free throw, but Newburg senior Claire Affolter’s steal for a layup tied the game with 16 seconds on the clock.
But just as time expired, Mansfield junior Jada Henry hit the winning shot underneath.
“We put in a lot of hard work,” said Henry of the Lady Lions’ effort this season. “This team means a lot to me…they are just family.”
Henry led all scorers with 22 points.
The teams started off trading turnovers before Mansfield’s Raine Roy was the first on the board at the five minute mark. Claire Affolter answered with a bucket and Marah Wofford-Suschanke added the exclamation point from downtown. Bailey Brookshire added two to bring the Wolves to a 7-2 lead.
Lauren Jones helped right the ship for Mansfield with a three, and Jada Henry and Chloe Lansdown added layups on fast breaks to take the lead in the final minute of the first quarter, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Lady Lions beat Newburg’s full court press in the second with Henry flying to the basket for seven of her 14 points in the half.
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Bailey Brookshire opened the third frame with a connection from downtown, but Madalyn Ivy immediately answered with a three of her own for Mansfield. Claire Affolter added six points to keep Newburg in contention before picking up her fourth foul. Affolter also put up five of the Lady Wolves’ twelve points in the final quarter.
The Lady Lions won their first district title in 25 years last week and continue to make history by advancing in the state playoffs.
“I’m tickled to be a part of it,” said Mansfield head coach Gary Greene. “They’re great kids and they’re having the time of their lives. I guarantee whatever we’ve got Saturday is going to be tough, but we’re going to show up and we’re going to play hard and enjoy it.”
The Lady Lions take on the Blue Eye Lady Bulldogs in Republic Saturday in the state quarterfinal round.
Scoring for Mansfield: Jada Henry, 22; Chloe Lansdown, 5; Raine Roy, 5; Logan Jones, 4; Madalyn Ivy, 3; Lauren Jones, 3.
Scoring for Newburg: Claire Affolter, 17; Macy Suschanke, 9; Bailey Brookshire, 9; Marah Wofford-Suschanke, 5.
