BELLVILLE — Kadin Chrastina delivered a tour de force performance Friday night, but Mansfield Senior’s final act brought down the house.
Clear Fork’s senior sharp-shooter scored a career-high 36 points, but the Tygers closed out the fourth quarter on a 17-5 run and escaped with a 70-65 Ohio Cardinal Conference win at Les Hauenstein Gym.
“At the end of the game it was time to turn it up and play our style,” said Senior High’s Naradain James, who scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. “We knew it was going to be tough in a hostile environment. Clear Fork always plays us tough down here. We always get their best shot.”
Senior High’s All-Ohio candidate, James brought the Tygers (8-5, 5-2) to life in the fourth when he was fouled on a dunk with 6:43 remaining. The ensuing free throw cut Clear Fork’s lead to 53-51.
The Colts (3-7, 1-5) responded with a 7-2 run and took a 60-53 lead on Griffin Robinette’s layup with 4:12 to go.
That is when things got interesting.
Mario Young ignited Senior High’s decisive run with a pair of free throws, followed by a driving layup by Raheem Clark. A Young bucket cut Clear Fork’s lead to 60-59 with 3:14 to play. A pair of Asante’ Wilder layups gave Senior High a 63-60 lead, but Lee Snyder knocked down a 3-pointer off a Chrastina assist to tie the game with 2:05 left. Senior High made seven free throws in the final 1:30 to put it away.
Five players scored for Mansfield Senior in the fourth quarter.
“Everybody who played tonight did something positive,” Senior High coach J.T. Reese said.
Young backed James with 11 points. David Hall had nine points, four rebounds and five assists, while Wilder had eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
Robinette had 12 points for the Colts. Snyder added eight.
“All around, that is the best we have played,” Clear Fork coach Steve Bechtel said. “Mansfield Senior, with the pressure they bring, makes you execute at a high level and our kids competed every single possession.”
Career night: Chrastina was a one-man wrecking crew. He was 12 for 21 from the field, connected on five 3-pointers and was 7 for 8 from the free throw line. He grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for good measure.
“He shot the lights out,” Reese said. “There were maybe two shots where he didn’t have someone on him. He could have shot it with his feet tonight and it was going in.”
Feel the Heat: Mansfield Senior forced 16 turnovers and scored 21 points off Clear Fork miscues. The Tygers were especially stingy in the fourth quarter.
“We got their eyes down, looking who was guarding them as opposed to looking who was open,” Reese said. “Once you get a ball handlers’ eyes down, we become a lot more effective.”
Glass Work: Mansfield Senior out-rebounded Clear Fork 39-23. The Tygers swiped 19 offensive rebounds and scored 17 second-chance points.
“Versus a zone, that really is our best offense,” Reese said. “Get a good quality look and since they’re not matching up to box up, got to a lane and attack the glass.”
Best Shot: For the second time in a row, Clear Fork nearly pulled the upset. The Colts fell to the Tygers 51-49 last year at Clear Fork.
“We are everybody’s Super Bowl, everyone in our conference,” Reese said. “What we have to realize is everybody is going to give us their best effort.”
Junior Varsity: Jornell Manns scored 13 points as the Tygers rolled to a 65-38 win in junior varsity action. Ehric Brooks had 11 and Jaykwan Mason added 10 points and seven boards. Devon Shortridge led Clear Fork with 12 points. Chance Barnett added nine.
“He (Chrastina) shot the lights out,” Reese said. “There were maybe two shots where he didn’t have someone on him. He could have shot it with his feet tonight and it was going in.”
