MANSFIELD — The boys basketball season came to an end for all but four area teams over the weekend.
Only Mansfield Senior, Lexington, Colonel Crawford and Lucas survived the carnage of last week’s sectional tournaments.
The eighth-seeded Tygers (7-17) have assumed the unfamiliar role of Cinderella after upsetting No. 2 Shelby 54-52 in the Division II sectional final at Bucyrus. Maurice Ware hit the late game-winner, sending Senior High into this week’s district tournament at Ashland.
The Tygers staggered through a 10-game losing streak that began in early-January and consumed almost the entire second half of the regular season. Mansfield Senior snapped the skid with a win over crosstown rival Madison in the regular season finale and won back-to-back postseason games to reach the district tournament for the first time since 2019.
“The way we’ve played in the tournament is the way we thought we’d play all season,” Senior High coach Marquis Sykes said. “It’s better late than never.”
The Tygers will take on third-seeded Lexington (14-9) in the Division II district semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Ashland’s Arrow Arena. The Minutemen advanced with a 60-26 win over Clear Fork in the sectional finals.
Lexington and Mansfield Senior are both members of the Ohio Cardinal Conference and Lex swept the regular season series. The Minutemen beat Senior High 60-53 at Pete Henry Gym in mid-December and rolled to a 46-32 win over the Tygers in Lexington in late-January.
In Division III, top-seeded and Associated Press poll champ Colonel Crawford cruised to a 63-27 win over No. 12 Edison for the program’s 11th consecutive sectional title. The Eagles (23-0) will play No. 4 Bloomdale Elmwood at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Norwalk High School in the district semifinals.
In Division IV, second-seeded Lucas captured a fifth consecutive sectional title with a 46-31 win over No. 10 Plymouth. The Cubs (19-4) take on third-seeded South Central (17-7) at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Willard High School.
