The Houston Lady Tigers’ surprising run through the Mansfield Tournament ended Saturday night with a 30-22 loss to Willow Springs in the championship game.
Houston, which hadn’t won consecutive games this season, beat Norwood in the opening round before upending top-seeded Licking 56-51 in overtime Thursday night.
Both Norwood and Licking had defeated the Lady Tigers by double digits earlier in the season.
Houston (6-11) trailed the Lady Bears by just one point at the half of the title game. But a 12-0 edge in the third quarter propelled Willow Springs to the championship.
“It was one of those games that neither team could make an outside shot,” HHS coach Brent Kell said. “We had been shooting the ball really well in the tournament, but we never made a shot outside of 5 feet the entire night.”
Senior Elizabeth Hayes scored 10 points as the lone HHS player in double figures. Alexa Ichord added eight.
Willow Springs scored 60 points in a 23-point December victory against the Lady Tigers.
“I thought our defense was really good throughout the tournament,” Kell said.
In the semifinals, freshman Kylee Elmore led the Lady Tigers with 15 points as they knocked off the tournament’s top seed.
Houston, which led 29-22 at the half and by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, outscored Licking 9-4 in overtime.
“We played our best three quarters of the year,” Kell said. “Everything came together.”
Ichord added 13 points for Houston. Elmore, Alissa Bowlin and Amber Sillyman each hit a pair of 3-pointers.
On Monday, Ichord and Bowlin scored nine points apiece in a 59-38 loss at Thayer.
Houston, which fell to 1-2 in conference play, managed just six first-half points and trailed by 22 at the half.
JUNIOR VARSITY: Sierra Weaver scored 14 points and Kaylea Preheim added 10 in the JV Lady Tigers’ 40-29 loss Monday at Thayer.
Box scores
VARSITY
Monday’s game
| Houston   |  2 |  4 |  11 |  21 |  – |  38 |
| Thayer | Â 17 | Â 11 | Â 16 | Â 15 | Â –Â | Â 59 |
HOUSTON (3 8) — Alexa Ichord 9. Alissa Bowlin 9. Kylee Elmore 6. Kenzie Scheets 6. Amber Sillyman 3. Kayla Herndon 5. FG 15. FT 6-14. F 19. (3-pointers: Bowlin, Scheets. Fouled out: Bowlin).
THAYER (59) — Mullins 5. Eckman 14. Simpson 2. Burrell 10. Alford 13. Honeycutt 2. Martin 13. FG 22. FT 14-26. F 22. (3-pointers: Alford. Fouled out: Martin).
Saturday’s game
Mansfield Tournament
Championship
| Houston |  6 |  4 |  0 |  12 |  – |  22 |
| Willow Springs   |  3 |  8 |  12 |  7 |  – |  30 |
HOUSTON (22) — Alexa Ichord 8. Kylee Elmore 2. Amber Sillyman 2. Elizabeth Hayes 10. FG 7. FT 8-12. F 18. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none).
WILLOW SPRINGS (30) — Hutsell 9. Burtchett 2. Kyra Bunch 6. Kyndall Bunch 13. FG 9. FT 11-20. F 18. (3-pointers: Hutsell. Fouled out: Kyra Bunch).
Thursday’s game
Mansfield Tournament
Semifinals
| Houston  |  12 |  17 |  13 |  4   9 |  – |  55 |
| Licking | Â 7 | Â 15 | Â 12 | Â 13Â 4 | Â – | Â 51 |
HOUSTON (55) — Alexa Ichord 13. Alissa Bowlin 8. Kylee Elmore 15. Kenzie Scheets 2. Amber Sillyman 8. Haylee Kell 3. Kayla Herndon 2. Elizabeth Hayes 4. FT 20. FT 9-16. F 19. (3-pointers: Bowlin 2, Elmore 2, Sillyman 2. Fouled out: Hayes)
LICKING (51) — Emily Smith 14. Katie Cook 4. Megan Smith 18. Laken Hebblethwaite 2. Jessica Storm 5. Vanessa Cook 8. FG 19. FT 13-20. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none).
JUNIOR VARSITY
Monday’s game
| Houston   |  9 |  9 |  2 |  9 |  – |  29 |
| Thayer | Â 13 | Â 14 | Â 5 | Â 8 | Â – | Â 40 |
HOUSTON (29) — Sierra Weaver 14. Maddie Vandiver 4. Kaylea Preheim 10. Megan Silveus 1. FG 10. FT 9-25. F 12. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Vandiver).