Wellsboro used a strong defensive effort .. including 11 steals .. and balanced scoring to beat the Tigers. 

Marek Mascho led the way with 12 points ands added six assists and three steals, while Gideon Lawton came off the bench to score 11 points for the Hornets, including the last four on a pair of lay-ups to end a third quarter where Mansfield had erased a 23-17 Wellsboro lead and went up 28-27 with two minutes left.

Luke Rothermel, who finished with eight points and six rebounds, gave Wellsboro a 25-17 lead to start the third before NPM went on an 11-2 run, including buckets from Jason Harer and Andy Hermansen, four free throws by Hermansen, two from Harer and one by Colton Pellett.

Lawton got free for a pair of lay-ups to end the quarter and give the Hornets back their lead, 31-28, as they went to the final frame. 

Wellsboro started the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run as Lawton and Griffen Morral both scored on putbacks, Mascho scored off a Morral steal and Jonathan Carl made it 39-28 off his own steal. The Hornets were able to hold the Tigers off .. despite a pair of Kevin Clemente-Vazquez threes .. by making six free throws down the stretch to seal the win. 

Carl finished with seven points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the win, while Morral added six points, two blocks and two assists and Fletcher rounded out Wellsboro’s scoring attack with five points. 

Harer recorded a double-double in the loss, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Hermansen scored 14 points and added five assists. The pair led Mansfield to an early lead as Harer scored seven first quarter points and Hermansen had six to put the Tigers up 13-7 with less than two minutes to go in the opening frame.

Wellsboro ended the first with a 6-0 run and Lawton’s two free throws gave the Hornets a 15-13 lead that they’d extend to 23-17 with an 8-4 second quarter.

Clemente-Vazquez finished with seven points for Mansfield and Colton Pellett had the Tigers’ remaining point in the loss. 

With their second straight ‘Peg’ Berguson Trophy win, Wellsboro also evens the 12-year series at 6-6.

The Hornets (4-3) are scheduled to return to play on Friday, January 2nd when they host 4A Jersey Shore (3-3), while North Penn-Mansfield (3-2) is at the Josh Palmer Tourney on December 28th and 30th.

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