Stoughton High Girls’ Basketball Falls to Mansfield in Heartbreaking Fashion

The Mansfield High girls’ varsity basketball team beat Stoughton on Friday, 37-36, in a game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.

"They're a very tough matchup," Mansfield head coach Michael Redding said. "We're glad to get out of this with a win."

The host Hornets won the second place game in the Hockomock Crossover, improving to 12-8. Stoughton falls to 11-6. The Black Knights may have lost more than just the game, however. As Stoughton gets ready for a postseason tournament run, the status of senior captain Chrystal Holland bears watching as she left Friday night’s game with a head injury that required stitches.

Mansfield started the game with a good deal of momentum early on, and it looked like they would keep it. The Hornets ended the first period up 9-3 and ended the half with a 17-12 lead.

Mansfield had the rebounding edge on Stoughton during the first half, despite the Black Knights having a height advantage over the Hornets.

However, the second half would show two very different teams. 

"We just seemed to come out a little lax, we just didn't seem to be into the game at the beginning," Stoughton head coach Janet Sullivan said. "I think my kids just got tired of being pushed around, and I mean that in a good way. Mansfield was playing good aggressive ball, and we needed to step it up."

Stoughton kept up with Mansfield in scoring during the third quarter, increasing both their rebounds, steals and aggressiveness in the period. Mansfield hung on to the lead, but in such a low coring game, their lead was not concrete. The third period ended at 27-24.

Stoughton came back with a vengeance during the final period of play, picking up a good deal of momentum and the lead, twice, during play. Early on, Stoughton managed to edge ahead of Mansfield, 28-27, with 6:55 left, but the Hornets fired back with five points two minutes later to take a four-point lead, 33-29. Kelly English brought the lead to 35-32, keeping up a steady rhythm with 2:25 left in the game.

"Every point was very hard to come by," Redding said. "Our turnovers were so costly, it seemed like every turnover lead to a breakaway layup [for Stoughton]."

Then Stoughton picked up their momentum. Stoughton's Chrystal Holland made three fast breaks to the basket in the fourth period, and was fouled each time. On the third drive, she landed hard on her head, was bleeding, and had to be taken out of the game. Sullivan said that Holland was sent to the emergency room. The injury required stitches.

"I'm real pleased with my team," Sullivan said. "After Chrystal was taken out they really stepped up."

On the last foul, Mackenzie McGrath took Holland's shots, giving Stoughton the lead again, 36-35, with about a minute left in the game.

Stoughton got the ball back, but Mansfield took possession with 30 seconds left in the game. Mansfield lost possession with ten seconds left, but regained it with 2.2 seconds. In that time, Kelly English was fouled trying to get a shot off. She scored on the foul shots, and won the game for Mansfield, handing Stoughton the heart-breaking loss.