MANSFIELD — It was a victory dedicated to the memory of a fallen teammate and a celebration two decades in the making.
Mansfield Senior jumped to a quick 6-0 lead in the opening minute and never looked back in a resounding 68-33 win over Ashland in Ohio Cardinal Conference action Thursday at Pete Henry Gym.
The win guaranteed Senior High (16-5, 12-2) a share of its first-ever Ohio Cardinal Conference championship and the first league title of any sort since the record-setting 2002-03 Tygers captured their fourth straight Ohio Heartland Conference crown before embarking on a tournament run that culminated with the only Final Four appearance in program history.
That historic 2002-03 team, coached by Andrea Thompson and led on the floor by dynamic point guard Canea Williams, was honored at halftime Thursday night. They were among the celebrants who spilled onto the floor after the final horn sounded.
Another Tyger, Nasyia Bradley, wasn’t on the court but her memory weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of her former coaches and teammates Thursday evening, just as it has all season. Nasyia Bradley died from a gunshot wound in April of 2022. She was 16.
“It feels great to win this for her. We dedicated the season to her after she passed,” said sophomore forward Annaleise Norris, who scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. “To win this for her really means a lot to us. We know she is with us in spirit.”
Acting coach David Phillips agreed.
“It’s very special,” said Phillips, the former Senior High football standout who was a junior the last time the Tygers won a conference crown. “It’s kind of emotional too. The fans felt it. Everybody felt it.
“I’m glad we got it done.”
Monetta Hilory and Kiersten Bradley each knocked down 3-pointers in the opening minute as Senior High led from the tip. The Tygers moved on top 14-8 after the first quarter and stretched the gap to 32-14 at the half.
Ashland (3-16, 3-11) scored the first three points of the second half to make it 32-17, but that is as close as the Arrows would get. Senior High scored five straight points highlighted by Hilory’s conventional three-point play to open a 38-17 advantage with 5:24 remaining in the third period.
“It feels amazing to win a conference championship,” said Hilory, who scored 18 points. “We are truly blessed.”
Kiersten Bradley led the Tygers with 20 points. Freshman Kyeona Myers had seven and senior Kiyah Wentz added six.
“(Mansfield Senior) is an all-around great team,” Ashland coach Renee Holt said. “They get after it. They want to punch back every time you hit them.”
Freshman Camryn Cox paced the Arrows with eight points. Sophomore Makaree Chapman, senior Audra McBride and junior Lilly Pool each had six.
“I have a young group. I’m excited for the future and I told them that,” said Holt, who led Crestview to a Firelands Conference title in 2016 before starring at Division II national heavyweight Ashland University. “I don’t care what I did (as a player). It doesn’t matter anymore. I want them to feel that feeling.”
Mansfield Senior, which shared the OCC title with West Holmes, will enjoy its historic accomplishment before the postseason begins later this month. None of Mansfield Senior’s players were alive the last time the Tygers hoisted a conference trophy.
“I don’t know if they know how important this is,” Phillips said. “It’s huge.”
