BUCYRUS — Mansfield Senior pulled away in the final seconds Friday night to edge Bellevue 64-59 for an exciting Division II boys sectional basketball championship at Bucyrus High School.
With just 45 seconds remaining in a tie game, Ja’Ontay O’Bryant fed Duke Reese for a bucket to put the Tygers on top 61-59. Nine seconds later Rashad Reed drained a free throw, and with 20 seconds showing Nathaniel Haney hit two more free throws to put the Redmen away for good.
Mansfield Sr. 64, Bellevue 59 box score
Haney led the fifth-seeded Tygers (17-7) with 23 points. Karion Lindsay and O’Bryant chipped in 10 points apiece.
Tyler Ray topped Bellevue in the scoring column with 16 points, while Ashton Martin had 15 points and Cody Lindsay added 11.
Senior High moved on top 19-14 through the first quarter, and owned a 38-32 edge at the half. Bellevue closed to within 50-47 heading to the final eight minutes. The fourth-seeded Redmen tied the Tygers late, but never could grab the lead.
Coach Marquis Sykes’ team enjoyed a 29-22 rebounding advantage. Mansfield Senior blistered the nets with 56-percent shooting (23-of-41), including 7-of-13 accuracy from beyond the arc.
The Redmen stayed in the game by forcing 16 Senior High turnovers, while committing just eight of their own.
Bellevue finished the season at 16-7.
The Tygers advance to Thursday’s Division II district semifinal in Ashland against top-seeded Sandusky (22-1). Tip time is 6 p.m.
The Blue Streaks dismissed Sandusky Perkins 67-60 on Friday night. Sandusky beat the Tygers 79-74 on Feb. 4 in the two teams’ lone meeting earlier this season.
Mansfield Sr. vs. Bellevue play-by-play
