Mansfield Lions win Sparta Trojan Invitational title

For the second time this season, the Mansfield Lions’ basketball team earned the right to be called a tournament champion.
A little more than a month after winning their own tournament in December, the Lions snapped a recent four game losing streak by picking up three quality wins to be crowned champions of the Sparta Trojan Invitational.
Mansfield entered as the No. 3 seed and drew a No. 5 Willow Springs team in the finals that beat them by eight points just one week earlier.
In the rematch, Jace Headrick hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining to help the Lions pick up the 55-53 victory.
In the first quarter, Kellen Campbell scored five of his team’s 10 points for an early two-point edge.
Unfortunately, the Bears went on a 15-9 run before halftime to take a four-point lead into the break.
Haven Proetz had a big third quarter with six points to close the gap to three entering the final eight minutes of play.
After being held scoreless through three quarters, Headrick hit two 3-pointers and scored nine points in a 20-point final frame.
Fisher Croney came up with six other points to help the Lions win the title.
Blake Henry was named the tournament MVP as he scored seven points in the championship game.
Campbell, who was an All-Tournament selection, finished with seven points.
Other scorers included Proetz with 11; Headrick had eight; Riley Stidham scored seven points; while both Malachi Ussery and Charlie Grubbs had two points.
In the semifinals, the Lions took on No. 2 seed Crocker and picked up a 53-50 victory.
After falling behind by four points early, the Lions used an 18-point second quarter to tie the game at 23-23 entering halftime.
Mansfield made three, 3-pointers in the second quarter while Campbell had seven points.
Crocker rallied to start the second half with a 16-13 run.
In the fourth quarter, Henry scored six big points while the Lions made 6-of-10 free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.
Both Henry and Campbell had 11 points; both Headrick and Stidham scored 10; Ussery added five; Croney had three points; Grubbs finished with two; and Zach McCrite scored one point.
In the first round, the Lions took on a good Billings team and picked up a 70-50 victory.
Mansfield opened the game on a 26-13 run with the help of Headrick’s three, 3-pointers for nine points and Stidham’s pair of 3-pointers for eight points.
Up 14 at halftime, the Lions had a 20-9 run in the third quarter as both Headrick and Henry scored ix points.
Croney added a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
The Lions made six of their 10, 3-pointers in the first quarter.
Headrick scored 17 points; both Croney and Stidham had 13 points; Henry added eight points; Grubbs had five; McCrite had four points; Kaden Young and Ussery had three points; while Riley Pierson and Campbell each scored two points.
Mansfield’s record is now 9-10 on the season.
“Sparta tournament was about as balanced of a tournament as you can find,” said Mansfield head coach Craig Campbell. “...In reality, we could have drawn out of a hat to seed it. Picked up three good wins this week; over a scrappy Billings team, a very good and talented Crocker team, and a very good and tough match-up for us in Willow, having to play them a third time this year and second time in a week. The boys were challenged this week and they responded having different guys step up every game.”