Mansfield's season ends with OT loss

DANVILLE ­- For two-and-a-half quarters Mansfield was the best team on the floor.

However, it wasn't enough as they fell to Lebanon Valley Catholic 51-47 in overtime in PIAA boys' A basketball action Tuesday.

"It's tough," Mansfield coach Kipper Burleigh said. "We got to the point where we were eliminated in a state playoff game without being beat by double digits. I'm almost thinking that's less painful. I'll walk away knowing we had a good enough team to get to the final four. The best team doesn't always win in basketball, but that's what I'll leave with, that we had a team that was good enough to get to the final four."

Things started off bad for the Tigers, who couldn't get their offense going in the first quarter. That allowed LVC to jump out early.

Nick Fortna hit a three for LVC to get them on the board, followed by teammate Alex Groh hitting a free throw and lay-up to put them up 6-0. Zach Arnold added to the LVC lead with a three-point play to go up 9-0.

Mansfield's Luke Berguson finally got his team on the board with two free throws, cutting it to 9-2.

Fortna came back to hit a two, but just before the end of the quarter, Mansfield's Jakob Nance hit a lay-up of his own to make it 11-4 after the first.

LVC pushed the lead further in the second quarter as Arnold, Groh and Darius Zook all had buckets to make it 17-4.

"We looked uncomfortable," Burleigh said about the Tigers' start. "We looked out of rhythm, a little timid. I can't explain it. Maybe the game started a little quicker, they were more physical. I felt like we were playing a team we could beat, so I can't explain why we came out a little flustered."

That's when the Tigers got going.

Nance hit two lay-ups off offensive rebounds to cut it 17-8. LVC's Mike Wolfe hit a two to make it 19-8, but another Nance lay-up cut the lead to 19-10. Jamie Derstine hit a free throw for the Tigers to make it 19-11, followed by Zook hitting a shot to make it a 10-point lead again.

Just before the half, Mansfield's Jamie Hill was fouled on a three and hit all free throws to cut it 21-14 at the half.

While the Tigers were back in the game, Burleigh was still not happy with his team's offense.

"Our leading scorers at halftime were Jakob Nance and Jaime Hill," he said. "I tried to communicate that if those two could score then so could the five starters."

In the third, things went back-and-forth again.

Arnold hit a two, followed by Mansfield's Trevor Bolt scoring a deuce. Groh scored a lay-up of his own, followed by Berguson with a trey. After Arnold hit another two, LVC led 27-19.

From there it was all Mansfield in the third.

Nance hit a two and a free throw to cut it 27-22, followed by teammate Patrick Cummings cutting inside for a lay-up. Just before the end of the quarter, Bolt hit one of two free throws to cut it 27-25 heading into the fourth.

Mansfield's strong play continued in the final quarter as Nance hit a two to tie it up at 27.

LVC made a quick spurt as Fortna hit a three, followed by Arnold with a two to get up 32-27, but Berguson found his way to the foul line where he hit two followed by Bolt scoring a lay-up to cut it 32-31.

LVC was persistent as Arnold hit another shot to extend it to 34-31, but Nance scored two to cut it to one again. However, he missed the tying free throw.

Berguson gave the Tigers their first lead with a lay-up and foul shot to go up 36-34. LVC's Groh tied it up with a two-pointer of his own, but Berguson took over, scoring a deuce to put the Tigers back up 38-36. Arnold kept pace with a two-pointer, but Berguson found the bottom of the net again and was fouled.

However, he missed the foul shot.

At the other end, Timmy Orr got his first points on a foul shot, but Berguson hit one of two to put the Tigers up 41-39 with less than 30 seconds left in the game.

LVC brought the ball down and looked to be in trouble as the Tigers trapped them in the corner with five seconds left in the game. However, the Tigers were called for a foul with three seconds left to give LVC one last chance.

Off the out-of-bounds play, LVC found Zook in the paint, who put up a shot just before the clock went off. The ball rolled around on the rim, then went down, tying the game at 41.

In overtime LVC struck first as Fortna hit a two to go up 43-41. Berguson tied it up with a two of his own, but Fortna put his team on his back and hit a big three. Cummings kept pace with a two of his own, but Fortna's hot shooting continued as he hit another three to put LVC up 49-45.

Derstine hit a deuce to cut it 49-47, but it wouldn't be enough as LVC was able to play keep away the last minute. The Tigers fouled Wolfe, who hit his two free throws giving LVC a 51-47 cushion with less than 15 seconds to go.

The Tigers got up two threes, but couldn't find the bottom of the net. LVC held on to win.

"It was a situation where we built a deficit and we really had to work our tails off to get back in the game," Burleigh said. "And then to finally get the lead, I thought we were in pretty good shape."

One bad sign for Mansfield was that Cummings slipped on the floor one play, losing the ball in the process. LVC scooped it up and hit an easy two.

The Tigers also had woes at the foul line, missing six over the course of the game with three coming in the fourth quarter alone.

"In my mind I told the kids that there's 19-20 seconds in the game. The eight kids that played for Mansfield, that at least one of them missed a free throw, missed a lay-up, had a turnover, missed a box, missed a loose ball, missed a close out," Burleigh said. "And if one of those eight gets one of those things done, we win the ball game. So that's how we lost in regulation. That's what I told them to take from this."

The Tigers coach wanted his team to know that they could have easily put this game away.

"All of society will make excuses for losing," Burleigh said. "In my mind we got beat in regulation."

One story to take away was Nance's dominant play in the paint.

"He's unstoppable when he catches the ball where he wants," Burleigh said. "He's extremely explosive, very strong. He's gifted athletically."

Nance had a double-double to lead the Tigers with 15 points and 11 boards, seven of them offensive. Berguson added 11 points and six boards while Bolt had five points and four boards. Also for Mansfield Cummings had four points while Hill and Derstine had three each.

Marquis Delgado also pitched in with six boards.

For LVC Fortna led the way with 16 points while Arnold had 15. Groh added 11, Wolfe and Zook each had four while Orr added one.

Burleigh praised his seniors after the game for their "outstanding" careers.

"There is a lot clubs and organizations that our kids see and there's a huge difference between being involved and being committed," Burleigh said. "And that group is committed. They sacrifice so much of themselves and they dedicated such a huge part of their lives and they work so hard for a team goal and that's how success will find them later in life. Being committed as a husband and being dedicated as a father and they're all going to be successful. All our seniors are quality, high-character kids."

One plus for the Tigers was that senior Graeme Zaparzynski was able to come and watch the game. Zaparzynski had been out as of late due to an illness.

"It was great," Burleigh said. "He's on the bench for the first time since the NTL West Championship game. He's part of the time-outs and his voice was heard on the bench."