Mansfield stops Liberty’s district progress

Last week marked the close of the season for the 2022-2023 both the Eagles’ and the Lady Eagles’ basketball season. Both Liberty teams soared through the first round.

The boys faced some very tough teams in this Class 3 District 10 tournament. They faced the Licking Wildcats in round 1. Terrell Gaines scored 29 points, Drew Ripko 15, Gavin Reese and Carter Pruett both with 10 led the Eagles to a 71-49 win over the Wildcats.

The Eagles then moved on to face the top seed, the Mansfield Lions. Liberty led through the first half but fell behind in the second half, losing to Mansfield 73 to 60. Drew Ripko led the scoring with 27 points, Terrell Gaines had 18, and 10 points for Carter Pruett. The varsity Eagle boys ended their season with a record of 18-10 (6-10 in the Conference). Several of these losses were within just a few points of a win.

The Liberty Lady Eagles started the week facing the Seymour Tigers. The ladies powered through to the end for a win over the Tigers 44-39, sending them to round two to face the top-seeded Mansfield. The girls trailed by two at halftime, but the Lions gained some distance and took the win, 46-34. The Lady Eagles ended their season with a regular season of 13-13.