Back to the Garden for Mansfield Boys' Basketball Team Friday

You know the old saying “defense wins championships?”

Well, it also gets to you to the title game.

For the Mansfield High boys’ basketball team, it’s their defense that they are riding going into the Division 1 South title game Friday against either Newton North or New Bedford at the TD Boston Garden. The two teams are meeting Tuesday night at UMass-Boston for the other spot in the finals.

Mansfield suffocated Boston College High for a 48-32 win at UMass-Boston Monday night in the semifinals.

This will be a return trip for the Hornets to the title game as Mansfield lost to Madison Park a year ago in the Division 1 South finals.

Now, back to the reason why Mansfield will be making journey to the Garden...their defense.

“I thought it was going to be the first team to 60," said Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan. “I knew it was going to be low-scoring, but I thought maybe a late run would get it into the 50s.

"We're real excited. Our defense was outstanding tonight."

BC High was off all night long with their shooting and the Hornets played a big part in that.

"If this was the first game of the year, I would say that BC wasn't connecting," said Vaughan, "but based on how we have played and what we have held teams to shooting percentage-wise, I would say it was good defense. Other than a couple of possessions, I don't how many transition baskets they got, which are easy hoops. and we didn't send them to the foul line a ton." 

Senior Michael Lofton led the way for Mansfield with 16 points as the Eagles were unable to stop him despite double coverage all night long. At the end of the game, the senior co-captain, though, wanted to talk about was his team's defense.

"We're a good defensive team, one of the best defensive teams in the state," he said. "We held them down tonight.

I'm pretty surprised actually. They (BC High) are a good team, especially No. 3 (Bryan Hurley). "

 BC High was held to just 10 points in the fourth quarter, while the Hornets just kept increasing their lead. The final frame was the only time the Eagles got into double figures for a quarter.

 "They(BC High)  did such a good job of contesting shots, being active and running at us," said Vaughan. "We talked about it at halftime of doing a better job of getting lay-ups inside and not going away from the game plan. As soon as you start to change, you're no longer team that you were. It proved it when (Brian) Hershman came up with a big three when we were up, nine or 11, and that put the game away."

While the first half belong to the Hornets, the tide shift in the third quarter, BC High’s Jameilin Jones scored the first six points as the Eagles climbed back into the game, cutting the margin to 25-20. Jones ended up scoring all the points for BC High in the quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Mansfield were able to keep their lead.

Lofton ended the half by taking a pass from Hershman on a 2 on 1 break, finishing with a dunk as the buzzer sounded and the Hornet fans erupted with Mansfield ahead, 34-22.

"We had to get our crowd into it and that's what we did to help us get back into the game," said Lofton. "We wouldn't be here without our good fans."  

Mansfield held BC High scoreless for the first three minutes of the second quarter. The Eagles could only manage a basket by Hurley, but by then the Hornets had a 16-8 lead. When Lofton scored on a basket under the hoop, the Hornets had built up a 20-8 lead and were in complete control.

In the first quarter, both teams got off to tentative start, but Hornets were able to take a six-point, 12-6 lead as Daniel Dion canned a three-pointer before time ran out.

AT UMASS-BOSTON

BOX SCORE-

Mansfield-Daniel Dion 0 0-0 3,  Michael Lofton Jr, 7  2-3-16 , Terrence O’Mara 0 2-3 2, Brian Hershman 0 0-0 6,  Christopher Johnson 1 0-0 2, Kevin Connor 1-1-1-2 3,  Joseph Garcia 2 0-0 4, Jeffrey Hill 1 6-9 8. Totals: 13-3-13-20-48

BC High-Bryan Hurley 5 2-2 12, Mike Corcoran 0 0-0 0, Malique  Jameilen Jones 3 2-2 8, Charles Collins 0 0-0 0, Dan Curtis 1 0-0 2, Oderah Obukwelu 1 0-0 2, Jared Collins 1 0-0 2 Jared Collins 1 0-0 2,  Jake Mich 1 0-0 2 Justin Roberts 1 0-0 2. Totals: 13-0-6-12-32.

 Three-pointers: Mansfield- B. Hershman 2, Dion, BC High-0

SCORE BY QUARTERS

BC High 6 8 8 8 1o-32

Mansfield 12 13 9 14-48

Halftime score: Mansfield, 25-14