Mansfield Girls Hoop Team Defeats Dartmouth

The Mansfield High girls’ basketball team found themselves in nail-bitter with Dartmouth in the first round of the Mansfield Roundball Tournament Sunday at Mansfield High.

It was the type of game where someone had to be hero.

Enter stage right, Mansfield High senior captain Kathryn Campbell, who scored on a drive to the basket as time ran out in the Hornets' 51-50 win.

“I knew I had to go right to the hoop and make it,” said Campbell. “It was crazy. I was so happy I made it.”

She wasn’t the only one. The gym erupted as soon Campbell’s shot rolled in. Mansfield (20-1) will now play Lincoln-Sudbury in the finals Tuesday night.

“She (Campbell) is the best one I have at that,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Redding. “It’s a play we called Georgia Tech and she is just so fast to the hoop.”

Campbell’s shot also prevented the Hornets from losing their second straight game after winning 19 in a row. The Hornets lost to Oliver Ames in the Hockomock Classic Friday night.

“We are still fighting for the No. 2 seed in (Division 1) tournament,” said Redding. “OA and Dartmouth are like playing in tournament games.”

Before Campbell’s heroics, it look liked Dartmouth’s Molly Brown was going to be the difference in the game. With 4.9 seconds left in the game, the senior guard hit jumper for a 50-49 lead.

“She knows no range,” said Redding. “(Dartmouth) is a very good, skilled team.”

Dartmouth held the Hornets to just six points in the second quarter to build up a 27-14 halftime lead. Dartmouth limited Mansfield to just single shots offensively and was about to take advantage with their outstanding shooting with three 3-pointers, including two by Brown. Caisle Cadorette had the other one.

With a little over three minutes left in the first half, Mansfield tied the score on a basket by center Colleen Copley at 19. That was the last basketball of the first half by the Hornets.

Mansfield took a 13-12 lead at the end of the first half when Michaela Bowes drained a 3-pointer. For most of the quarter, the play belonged to Dartmouth as they had three 3-pointers, including two by senior guard Caisle Cadorette.

Copley, who was slowed by ankle injury, which required taping at halftime, was the top scorer for Mansfield with 15 points, while Kelli McPherson ended up with 14.

Besides Brown, Silva, 12, and Cadorette, 10, finished in double figures for Dartmouth, who will face Woonsocket, RI. Tuesday in the consolation game at 1 p.m.

Before the game, the Hornets honored the senior players as part of Senior Night.

In the other first game, Lincoln-Sudbury defeated Woonsocket, RI., 54-40, to earn a spot in Tuesday’s championship game.