LUCAS — Josiah Schleusener and his Mansfield Christian teammates took care of business on a frosty Friday night.
Schleusener scored 18 points and the Flames cruised to a 60-47 Mid-Buckeye Conference win over Lucas inside the Cub Cave.
Mansfield Christian (8-6, 5-1) remained atop the MBC standings with Kidron Central Christian. The Flames and Comets each have one conference loss and will meet at The Furnace next week.
“We’re one step closer,” MCS coach Cary Cramer said. “The kids are doing a good job of staying in the moment and not looking past anyone.”
Quick Start
Mansfield Christian raced to a 21-9 first-quarter lead as six different players scored in the opening quarter. Schleusener and Landin Cyphers scored six points apiece.
“We’ve had a lot of people contribute,” Schleusener said. “We got everyone involved early.”
The Flames led 30-19 at the half and 42-29 going to the fourth. Lucas (0-16, 0-6) cut it to 56-45 on Cooper Day’s fifth and final 3-pointer with a minute to play in the fourth but could get no closer.
“Lucas always plays tough and physical and that’s good for us,” Craner said. “They made a run there towards the end, but we were able to finish it off.
“It’s good for us to see that.”
Balanced Attack
Cyphers backed Schleusener with 13 points for the Flames. Hudson Stigall added 11.
Day paced the Cubs with 20 points. Anthony Fanello addd seven.
Back on Track
The Flames, who have battled illness and injury all season, snapped a two-game losing streak. MCS visits Plymouth on Saturday.
“We were hit hard by the flu, so (the two-game skid) didn’t really bother us,” Schleusener said. “We knew once we got healthy we would get back on track.”
Moving Forward
While the Cubs are still searching for their first win, rookie coach Corbin Toms can see progress.
“It’s tough for everyone on the outside to see, but the kids are improving,” Toms said. “They show up every day and they bust their butts.”