Matt Vines
MANSFIELD – Defense and toughness travels.
The Mansfield girls basketball team controlled its second-round contest Monday at No. 7 Pine, cruising to a 46-35 win.
Mansfield (21-8), the No. 10 seed in the Division III Non-Select bracket, will hit the road again in the quarterfinals Thursday for a showdown at No. 2 Amite. Tip is 6 p.m. in the Tangipahoa Parish town located on the outskirts of Hammond.
In its first two playoff games, Mansfield has allowed an average of 26 points thanks to a first-round, 53-18 domination of No. 23 seed Berwick.
Mansfield is making its second quarterfinals appearance in three seasons, serving as recent playoff success for Coach Kendra Neal-Jones, who won a 2019 title and advanced to the Top 28 in 2014 and 2015 with the Lady Wolverines.
The Lady Wolverines have gone 20-3 in the last 23 contests after an 1-5 start.
A smothering defense continues to be the foundation, but Mansfield will see an Amite squad who walloped No. 18 Marksville, 73-26, in the second round.
Amite (28-5), co-champions of District 7-3A with state power Albany, has topped the 70-point mark six different times this season. Pine is also in that district, with Amite winning two games by 11 and 24 points, respectively.
Mansfield is the only lower seed to win a second-round game in D3 Non-Select bracket and is the only double-digit seed remaining.
Logansport girls’ season ends at No. 1 Arcadia
Logansport’s trend of knocking off state powers didn’t come to fruition Monday as No. 1 seed Arcadia ended the No. 17 seed Lady Tigers’ season in a 74-35 loss.
Logansport, who landed a 65-59 road win at No. 16 Kentwood in the first round, couldn’t repeat its 2021 quarterfinals appearance.
The Lady Tigers had handed LaSalle one of its two regular-season losses along with upsetting Class 4A North DeSoto this season.
Logansport ends its season with an 11-13 record, logging a playoff win for the first time since 2021.
Logansport boys only DeSoto team in the field
The Logansport boys basketball team is the only local squad in the postseason as the Division IV Non-Select members drew the No. 22 seed.
Logansport (8-9) heads to No. 11 seed South Plaquemines (13-16) for a first-round matchup.
South Plaquemines is located more than an hour southeast of New Orleans, nestled between the Mississippi River and the waters that turn into the Gulf of Mexico.
The six-hour drive poses difficulties in its own right, but Logansport has won four of its last six games to land in the playoffs.
“We take it as a blessing to be playing in the playoffs because we are the only boys team in DeSoto Parish doing this,” said Chris Thomas, a longtime Mansfield coach who added basketball coaching duties on top of his administrative duties this season. “That’s an accomplishment in itself when you are playing with so many football guys.
“This season has been tough, but it’s been fun. Our young guys have improved a lot, but more importantly, these kids are starting to mature off the court.”
South Plaquemines also surged late to lock up a home game, winning four of its last five to claim the District 9-2A title.