Norwood beats Mansfield for third in Cabool

The Norwood Pirates’ basketball team entered this year’s Cabool Holiday Tournament as the defending champions, but they knew a possible semifinals match-up loomed with Bunker in the semifinals.
After all, Bunker is the No. 1 team in Class 1.
Sure enough, a pair of victories gave them a shot at Bunker, but they would drop the match-up by 17.
The loss game them a battle with rival Mansfield, the No. 4 team in Class 2, and the No. 10 team in the Pirates managed to pick up an 85-81 victory to claim the third place plaque.
In the win over the Lions, Norwood went on a 26-11 run in the second quarter with the help of Pierce Lawson’s nine points.
Norwood entered the fourth quarter with an 18-point lead when the Lions’ offense went on a tear in the final frame.
Kellen Campbell and Jace Headrick both scored 12 points as Mansfield scored 34 points before falling by four points.
Norwood made 17-of-26 free throws in the fourth to help seal the win.
The Pirates’ Carder Kelly scored a team-high 24 points; Lawson had 20; Andrew Bradshaw scored 13; both Laken Coatney and Remington Hill had 11; Hunner Finch had three; and both Carson Vaughan and Brady Vaughan scored two points.
Headrick led the Lions with 33 points; Campbell scored 26; Malachi Ussery, Haven Proetz and Fisher Croney had six points; while Kaden Young had three points.
In the first round, Norwood held Houston in eight points or less in the first two quarters before holding on for the 59-48 victory.
Bradshaw scored 13 of his team-high 22 points in the second half.
Kelly added 16; Lawson scored eight; Hill had seven; while Brady Vaughan, Finch and Coatney had two points.
In the second round,a 26-point second quarter helped the Pirates pull away from Salem for a 75-51 victory over Salem.
Norwood made 22-of-26 free throws in the win.
Kelley scored 31 points; Hill added 11; Coatney scored 10; Lawson had eight; both Brady Vaughan and Bradshaw had five points; Carson Vaughan scored three points; while Finch had two points.
Against Bunker in the semifinals, the Pirates were outscored 21-11 in the fourth quarter as they fell, 54-37.
Both Bradshaw and Kelly had 10 points and were named to the All-Tournament team; Lawson scored eight; Hill had four; Carson Vaughan had three points; and Coatney had two points.