Senior Clint Heffern broke through a scoreless run by both teams to open the game. Heffern’s three-pointer had Iola High’s Mustangs in front.
Fellow senior Christian Kauth had a basket on the inside and the Mustangs were up 5-0 two minutes into Thursday’s home game. Unfortunately, the Mustangs were outscored 25-10 over the next 14 minutes.
The Mustangs never recovered. Visiting Independence High’s Bulldogs walked away with a 42-25 win in the regular season finale.
“We’re just not very good right now. I don’t know if we’ve had our hearts broken too many times in close games or what,” said Bill Peeper, Mustang head coach.
“We’ve regressed so much in the past month that we’re a team of excuses instead of a team expecting to win.”
Iola ended its long-run in the Southeast Kansas League with the loss. The Mustangs finished 2-6 in the league and 9-11 overall.
The Mustangs “have work to do” before Paola High’s Panthers come to Iola Tuesday. Iola beat the Panthers in January at the Burlington High Invitational.
Tuesday’s game has more riding on it this time as the Kansas Class 4A Substate Tournament begins. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at IHS.
“Paola is a team we’ve played and we feel comfortable going up against. We have to show up and play better than we’ve been of late,” Peeper said.
It was senior night and Peeper started five of the team’s seven seniors. The other two rotated in during the first quarter.
Along with Heffern and Kauth, Jarred Latta, Braden Larson and Jerrik Sigg started. Mikal Bossell and Corey Taylor came off the bench.
No Iola player reached double figures in scoring. Heffern and Jarred Latta each had five points.
Peeper said the Mustangs had just five rebounds at halftime “and you’re not going to beat teams when you’re not getting rebounds.”
Jarred Latta finished with six rebounds. Heffern had two steals.
“It comes down to our guys recommitting to working hard and getting on the boards and on the floor to get the basketball,” Peeper said.
