MADISON TOWNSHIP — Teachable moments are a good thing for a growing high school basketball teams prepping for the postseason.
The Madison Rams gave Mansfield Senior coach Marquis Sykes a second-half full of those moments Friday night before the Tygers ultimately prevailed, 67-54.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to teach and coach and get these guys better,” said Sykes, whose team finished the regular season 16-6 overall and alone in second place in the Ohio Cardinal Conference at 12-2.
The Tygers, who host Ontario Feb. 27 in the opening round of the rugged Division II district, roared in the first half at Madison Middle School, taking leads of 21-7 and 40-23 at the quarter breaks.
Rams battle back in second half
But the Rams (1-20, 1-13) didn’t back down an inch in the final 16 minutes, outscoring their cross-town rivals, 31-27.
Madison coach Chris Armstrong’s team opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to single digits at 40-31. The Rams’ defense was the key, holding the Tygers without a point on 10 straight possessions. Senior High missed six shots, four free throws and committed two turnovers.
The first Mansfield Senior points of the second half didn’t come until a Duke Reese basket with 2:39 left in the third period. That opened the gates a bit as the Tygers outscored the Rams 7-5 to take a 49-36 edge into the fourth quarter.
The closest Madison came in the final period was 10.
“We’ll really have some (more teachable moments) once we sit down and watch the film together,” Sykes said.
“That’s the good thing about our conference and our non-conference schedule. We always have moments where we can teach and sit down and show guys where they can get better.”
Kyevi Roane again ‘Mr. Fourth Quarter’
Junior Kyevi Roane again played a key role down the stretch for Mansfield Senior, scoring 10 of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. He also led the Tygers with eight rebounds.
Roane finished the regular season as the team’s leader in points (17.4 per game) and rebounds (6.8).
“He’s our best player and we run our stuff for him,” Sykes said. “I asked him to turn it up in the fourth quarter. Guys kind of leaned on him and looked for him. He got a little more aggressive and was able to make some shots that helped get us through.”
Roane, who has scored 383 points this season on 57-percent shooting, seemingly does it quietly, without a great deal of fanfare.
“(Roane) does a lot of his scoring in the flow of the basketball game. He doesn’t force a whole lot. That’s why his teammates are looking for him. When they see them get a mismatch, they look for him in those spots,” Sykes said.
“It’s a really good thing to have your best player being unselfish and be a guy that doesn’t have to score outside of the offense. It’s a great thing for us.”
Rashad Reed Jr. backed Roane with 11 points.
Madison focusing on the process
It hasn’t been the kind of season Armstrong and his team had hoped for. Madison’s lone win thus far came Dec. 8 in an overtime victory at West Holmes.
But the Rams have been in nearly every game and there was no sign of frustration from any of Armstrong’s players Friday night.
“They’re such good kids. They’re really good kids. We’ve just got to get to that level of energy all the time. We’ve really fluctuated,” Armstrong said. “Some of that I think is a little (lack) of confidence in there, a little bit of belief.
“But we get down and guard, compete on the boards, take care of the basketball. We put ourselves in a position to (be in every game) because our kids play hard.”
How does he keep his team on an even keel during a season lacking in positive game outcomes?
“It starts with relationships. I think we’ve got to build strong relationships. I think we’ve got to get the kids buying into the behaviors that will eventually lead to success,” the coach said. “We talk about playing with energy and effort, no matter what.
“We talk about being unselfish. Sometimes slip below the line there where we need to be.
“But I think that we try to keep the big picture and stay focused on the process, as opposed to the outcome,” Armstrong said.
“What we’re really after is learning life lessons and becoming better men. I think they understand that. I think they believe that we want what’s best for them.”
Junior Cameron Kuhn led Madison with 21 points Friday night, including five of 10 three-point tries. He also led the Rams with eight rebounds.
(Below is a PDF with the complete box score from the Mansfield Senior-Madison basketball game Friday night at Madison Middle School.)
