Mansfield fell behind 14-10 after a quarter of play before using four Kameron Lightner points and a three from junior Elaina Shaw to outscore Towanda 9-7 in the second quarter and cut the Lady Knights’ lead to 21-19 at the break. 

Maddy McNamara led a third quarter charge for the Tigers, hitting a 3-pointer and later finishing a drive to tie the game at 24-all. A pair of Towanda free throws led to a Mansfield press break that freshman Julia Kaczynski took all the way to the basket to once again tie the game, 26-26.

Towanda hit a 3-pointer and McNamara answered with a three of her own, tying the game back up at 29-29 with just under four minutes remaining.

Lightner later scored inside and was fouled, missing the ’and-1’ free throw, but after an empty possession for Towanda, Kaczynski would connect on a put-back and Mansfield led 33-29. A Towanda score cut it to 33-31 and Kaczynski would find Lehman on a fast break with the lay-up putting the Tigers back up by four at 35-31 with under two minutes left in the third quarter.

Towanda finished the third with a 4-0 run to tie the game at 35-all as they went to the final frame. 

Three Towanda free throws gave the Knights a 38-35 lead, but Lightner scored inside off a Shaw assist and later found Lehman for the lay-in to re-take the lead, 39-38, with 4:38 left in regulation.

Towanda hit a free throw to tie it up once again and scored inside on a put-back with 1:16 left to take a 41-39 lead before Kaczynski rebounded a Tiger miss and was fouled on her put-back attempt. With 46 seconds left, Kaczynski drained both freebies to tie it up at 41-all.

The Knights missed an inside shot at the other end and North Penn-Mansfield called a timeout with 23 seconds left, still tied at 41-41.

Lehman was fouled with 13.7 seconds left and calmly made both free throws to put the Tigers up 43-41. Lightner came up with her third steal of the game on Towanda’s final possession, sealing the win for the Lady Tigers. 

Lightner finished with a double-double of 13 points and 18 rebounds while McNamara had 12 points and added three assists and four boards. 

Lehman finished with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Kaczynski had six points, eight rebounds and two assists, Shaw had three points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals and Avalon Rew rounded out the Lady Tigers’ scoring with one point.

North Penn-Mansfield improves to 8-5 on the season with their third straight win. They’re scheduled to host Troy on Friday.