The Tigers of Massillon were all over the Tygers of Mansfield on Monday evening. Massillon quickly jumped on top and never looked back. Top-notch defensive play often kept Mansfield from advancing the ball past halfcourt as the Tigers picked up numerous steals and limited the Tygers to just 10 points at the half. A running clock in the second half brought the game to a quick and merciful end as Massillon pummeled Mansfield by a score of 74-23.
1st Half
Massillon started off the game in Mansfield quickly as Hannah Nicola took a pass following the tipoff and took it all the way to the rack for 2. A turnover led to 2 more quick points as Delaney Pierce laid it in. Kynslie Williams stole the ball and fired it ahead to Pierce, who laid it in and was fouled. After the completion of the old-fashioned three point play, the Tigers led 7-0. Mansfield finally broke through for a basket following the Tigers’ free throw. Massillon put on a full court press which the Tygers would struggle to break all night, and the ball went back into the Tigers’ hands again after a Nicola steal. Another trap led to a steal as Pierce took it away and drained a 3. Jaryn Wolff deflected a pass and Nicola stole it, taking it all the way for 2. She followed this up with another steal and passed it off to Williams, who was fouled. After Williams hit both free throws, the Tiger defense got back at it again. Nicola picked up her 3rd steal on 3 possessions, and a pair of possessions later a Williams bucket made the score 18-2. Nicola stole the ball yet again and got it ahead to Williams for 2. Williams got in on the defensive action with a steal of her own and Lucy Herrera found the basket for 2, giving Massillon a 20-point lead. Excellent ball movement led to another Herrera basket to increase the Tigers’ lead to 24-2. Mia Page blocked a Mansfield shot and the Tigers scored yet again. The Tygers were fouled with 2 seconds left in the 1st quarter and made a free throw to make the score 26-3 after 1. Mansfield hit a pair of free throws to open the 2nd quarter. Nicola responded with a 3 and the Tigers got 2 more from Herrera off a fast break. Another Tigers’ shooting foul led to 1 more point for Mansfield, making the score 31-6. Pierce stole the ball and got it ahead to Page for 2, and Wolff laid one in to follow. Rylee Adams canned a 3 from the right wing— Wolff followed that up with a 3 from the left wing. Mia Page hit a 3, and the Tigers rolled to a 44-6 lead. Mansfield finally picked up their 2nd bucket from the floor for their 8th point. The Tigers made sure to rotate every chance they could, and had quite a few different lineups on the floor. Page picked the ball off a deflection and fed it ahead to Williams for a score. Pierce stole it and scored; Nicola followed with a steal and the Tigers scored after several offensive rebounds by Rylee Adams. Mansfield got into double digits before the half, but the Tigers were all over them with a 53-10 lead.
2nd Half
The Tigers continued to rotate heavily in the 3rd quarter, giving a bevy of Tigers the chance to see the floor. They opened the 2nd half with a play that they had run countless times in the 1st– a steal and score. This time the steal was off of a Hannah Nicola deflection and Pierce corralled the ball, taking it to the hole for 2. A couple minutes later the Tigers had opened up a 51-point lead with a score of 61-10. Mansfield would score only 3 in the 3rd quarter and only had 1 make from the floor (their 4th of the game). The Tigers led 67-13 after 3. The Tygers of Mansfield put together a couple of runs in the 4th quarter to boost their point total. Jaryn Wolff capped off the Massillon win with a 3-ball and the Tigers went back home with a resounding 74-23 win.
Box
Delaney Pierce, 21 points
Kynslie Williams, 14 points
Hannah Nicola, 13 points
Mia Page, 9 points
Jaryn Wolff, 8 points
Lucy Herrera, 6 points
Rylee Adams, 3 points
Multiple Tigers Among the Top in County in Key Offensive Statistics
Just this morning, the Canton Repository published its list of statistical leaders in Stark County. Multiple Tigers are included and are listed below.
Delaney Pierce, county leader in point average (25.5), 2nd in overall points (332), 5th in rebounds per game (9.5), 5th in total rebounds (123), county leader in assists per game (5.1) and total assists (66), 14th in free throw percentage (.748).
Hannah Nicola, 4th in point average (16.2), 4th in overall points (211), 22nd in rebounds per game (6.3), 19th in total rebounds (82), 5th in assists per game (4.2), 4th in total assists (55), 20th in free throw percentage (.704), 16th in 3pt percentage (.307).
Rylee Adams, 7th in rebounds per game (9.1), 6th in total rebounds (118), 6th in 3pt percentage (.385).
Kynslie Williams, 18th in rebounds per game (6.5), 17th in total rebounds (85), tied for 2nd in assists per game (4.4) and total assists (57).
Challenging Road Ahead for the Lady Tigers
Massillon will take on St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (10-1) at home on Wednesday. The Fighting Irish are ranked 18th in the state in USA Today’s “Super 25” and are 4th in DIII. The Tigers will then head on the road down south on Sunday to take on a European all-star squad in the MLK Showdown at Big Walnut HS. Monday evening will see the Tigers heading over to Amish country for the Classic in the Country at Berlin Hiland HS, where they will take on Milford (12-1), the #15 team in the state and the #7 team in DI.
