Matt Vines

AMITE CITY – A fourth Top 28 appearance wasn’t in the cards for the Mansfield girls basketball team and coach Kendra Neal-Jones.

The No. 10 seed Lady Wolverines dropped a 59-33 decision at No. 2 Amite on Thursday in the Division III Non-Select quarterfinals.

For a Mansfield team that’s successfully imposed its defensive will on the vast majority of opponents, Amite controlled both ends of the floor as the Lady Warriors advance to face No. 3 seed Doyle in the semifinals.

Mansfield finishes the season 21-9, including a 20-4 stretch to end the season after a 1-5 start.

The quarterfinals trip was the program’s second in three seasons, but Mansfield won’t be making a fourth Top 28 appearance in Neal-Jones’ tenure.

The stalwart coach led Mansfield to a 2019 state title and appeared in championship games in 2007 and 2015.