By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Mansfield Lady Lions took first place in the Mountain Grove Holiday Tournament Thursday night for the first time in the tourney’s 8-year history.
“We’ve been here since the beginning and have been close a couple of times, but this is our first win,” said Lady Lions head coach Gary Greene.
Junior Logan Jones led Mansfield to their 48-39 victory with 29 points.
“Logan Jones is a different animal,” said Coach Greene. “She played every second of this tournament except for the last 30 seconds, and she probably averaged close to 20 points per game and double-digit rebounds. She’s just on a different level mentally, refuses to let anyone outwork her, and she’s the motor for this group. Because of the way she plays, everyone else plays hard.”
Greene said his team defended well throughout the tournament, a key component to their victory. “I’ve got a bunch of kids that compete like crazy and fight and are hard-nosed,” he said. “We had to beat Hartville, Willow Springs, and Salem back-to-back nights, and that’s ridiculously difficult. That says a lot about the character of our team.”
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In the championship game, Logan Jones put the Lady Lions on the board first, and Harleigh Hodges followed with a shot under the basket. Logan and Lauren Jones each landed threes respectively, and Mansfield was off to a 12-0 lead with four minutes to play in the first quarter. Savannah Manthey connected from downtown to put the Lady Tigers on the scoreboard and would do so again to close the quarter, with Mansfield leading 16-8. Logan Jones would add 11 of her 29 total points on the night in the frame.
In the second, Mansfield advanced their lead to 12 points, 28-16, as Salem continued to struggle to sink shots and Macie Tate added a three for the Lady Lions. The Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Lions in the third thanks to the nine combined points from behind the arc from Manthey and Ashton Bowers and entered the final quarter trailing by 9.
Bowers hit a three, Bella Jadwin made good on a layup, and Erway was fouled on a rebound and added a free throw to start the fourth. With three minutes to play, Salem brought the game within four points. Hodges scored underneath and Bowers answered with an outside jumper, keeping it a four-point game with one minute to play. But Logan and Lauren Jones were each clutch with free throws down the stretch to help the Lady Lions hold on for the victory.
Coach Greene said he thought his team played exceptionally well, especially in the first half, and he was grateful for the early lead as Salem encroached down the stretch. “All of our teammates compete well, are great kids, and are fun to coach,” he added.
The Lady Lions move to 9-3 on the season.
The All-Tournament Team included Cassidy Hambelton, Dora; Liz Sheehan, Willow Springs; McKinley Sanders, Hartville; Savannah Manthey, Salem; Bella Jadwin, Salem; Olivia Crites, Houston; Lauren Jones, Mansfield; and Tournament MVP, Logan Jones, Mansfield.
Scoring for Mansfield: Logan Jones, 29; Lauren Jones, 8; Harleigh Hodges, 6; Macie Tate, 3; Madalyn Ivy, 2.
Scoring for Salem: Savannah Manthey, 12; Bella Jadwin, 8; Ashton Bowers, 8; Avery Erway, 7; Fayth Kaminski, 4.
