BEARCATS TOP WALDRON IN MANSFIELD TOURNAMENT

The Booneville Bearcats opened the second half on a 13-0 run to take control of a Bill Frye Invitational consolation bracket game in Mansfield against Waldron, going on to win 54-47.

The Bearcats trailed 26-24 when the half started and tied it on a basket by Dakota Mattson, who scored 15 in the game, then went ahead on one by Jace Washburn.

Washburn (shown) would also finish with 15 points to go along with eight steals, three charges taken, and seven rebounds.

A Noah Harrel free throw extended the lead, a bucket by Wesley Fonseca added breathing room and a 3 by Washburn made it 34-26 inducing a Bulldog timeout with 5:02 left in the third quarter.

After the stoppage Washburn hit another 3 to make it a double digit lead and with he hit another after Waldron managed a basket and a free throw.
Harrel pushed the lead to 13 with a steal and layup but the Bulldogs got a 3 at the buzzer to cut it to 42-32.

Harrel, who scored 14, started the final quarter with a 3 and after Waldron hit one, Mattson answered with another to reestablish the largest lead of the game at 13, 48-35.

It was again a 13 point cushion at 51-38 after another 3 by Harrel and although the Bulldogs would chip away late the lead would be a comfortable one the rest of the way.

With Mattson scoring 8 first quarter points – he hit 3s on assists from Conner Droemer and Tayden Washburn – the Bearcats (4-6) led the entire quarter except for a tie at 3, and another at 11 at the quarter’s end.

The second quarter featured eight lead changes, the final being a 3 that gave the Bulldogs a 26-24 lead at the half.

Wesley Fonseca accounted for a half dozen points in the quarter.

Greenwood 59 Bearcats 33

As ugly as the final would be the Bearcats actually started the second half with a Mattson 3 that tied the game at 25 and a Jace Washburn free throw for the lead with 7:17 left in the third quarter.

After Greenwood six straight Aiden Carter cut the Bulldog lead to 31-28 but Greenwood scored the next eight points to open a double digit lead.

Baskets by Mattson and Jace Washburn got the Bearcats within 40-32 before the quarter ended but a disastrous final quarter saw the Bulldogs pull away.

Mattson led the Bearcats with 11 points. Jace Washburn scored 7, pulled down 10 rebounds, and had 5 assists.

The Bearcats will face Elkins at 3 p.m. Monday in the consolation bracket finas of the tournament.