MADISON TOWNSHIP — There were 45 fouls called and 54 free throws attempted. Four players fouled out and two more left with injuries.
And with all the jawing on the floor, the crosstown rivalry had the feel of a pick-up game at John’s Park.
Short-handed Mansfield Senior overcame the loss of center Donovyn Benson to concussion-like symptoms and Naradain James and Marquez Cobb to foul trouble for a spirited 61-48 win over Madison on a frigid and snowy Saturday night at Madison Middle School.
The Tygers improved to 10-1 overall and remained alone atop the Ohio Cardinal Conference standings at 8-1. Madison dipped to 4-9, 1-7.
“I like the feel of the it. It’s a great atmosphere,” said Mansfield Senior guard DeJorr Gibson, who transferred to Senior High from Lima Senior over the summer. “It’s a good rivalry.”
It didn’t take long for Gibson to get indoctrinated into the backyard brawl. The speedy senior was whistled for a technical early in the second quarter when he and Madison’s Bryce Luckie exchanged words and shoves. Coy Vantilburg made both technical free throws to cut Mansfield Senior’s advantage to 15-14. The Rams would take an 18-17 lead two minutes later on a Luckie bucket, but the Tygers closed the first half on a 9-4 run to take a 26-22 halftime advantage.
Benson, Senior High’s leading scorer, was injured with 33.6 seconds remaining in the first half. His head hit the floor in a scrum as players from both sides dove to the floor while trying to corral a loose ball.
Benson stayed on the floor for a few minutes, but walked off under his own power. He did not play in the second half, but returned to the Senior High bench.
The Tygers already were without 6-7 senior Robert Jones, who is out indefinitely with an undisclosed medical condition, and athletic senior guard Chek Washington, who is on a football recruiting visit to Ohio University.
“With Donovyn out and two people foul out and two guys not here, we go from being able to play 12 people to having two people on your bench,” Senior High coach J.T. Reese said. “There is a lot of adversity, but we keep playing. I thought my team needed a win like this.”
Senior High eventually built a double-figure advantage in the third quarter, taking a 41-28 lead on an Asante’ Wilder bucket with 34 seconds remaining. Madison scored the final five points in the period, however, to stay within striking distance at 41-33 heading into the fourth quarter.
“I’m not happy with the result, but I’m satisfied with the effort,” Madison coach Tim Mergel said. “I’ve had a lot of veteran coaches tell me that, with a young team, you never know what you are going to get from night to night. We’ve got to get mentally tougher to get ready to go every night and it starts with me.
“You’ve got to find the right buttons to push.”
Madison’s Matt McClain became the game’s second casualty in the third quarter. The 6-foot-5 senior forward took a shot to the face while battling for a rebound and had a large knot under his right eye, but later returned to the game.
“It was physical,” Mergel said. “It’s Madison and Mansfield Senior. If the kids can’t get up for this game, they probably shouldn’t be playing.”
Madison freshman point guard Tyrell Ajian drained a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter to cut Mansfield Senior’s lead to 41-36, but that is as close as the Rams would get. The Tygers spread the floor and connected on 12 free throws in the final six minutes to win going away. Mario Davison hit six fourth-quarter freebies and was 8-for-9 from the stripe, while Gibson was 6-for-9. As a team, Senior High was 22-for-31 from the free throw line.
“That is a strength of ours,” Gibson said. “We all are confident when we go to the line. Personally, I missed a couple but I hit a few in the fourth quarter when the mattered the most.”
Gibson led the Tygers with 12 points, while Benson scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds in the first half. Davison added 10 points, while Cobb had nine and Jalen Reese had eight points and nine boards.
Ajian paced the Rams with 13 points. Buckie added 12 and Vantilburg had eight.
In junior varsity action, the Tygers held on for a 53-51 win. Mario Young led Senior High with 18 points, while Madison’s Jabari Caldwell scored a game-high 22. Jesse Weightman added 18 for the Rams.
Madison returns to action Friday, hosting Clear Fork. The Tygers visit Ashland on Friday and play Gahanna Lincoln at Ohio Dominican on Saturday.
Follow Curt Conrad on Twitter @curtjconrad.
