Iola High brought some March Madness to mid-January.
The Mustangs opened the War on 54 Midseason Tournament Tuesday with a late volley, out-scoring Crest 16-2 over the game’s final four minutes.
Iola’s 52-46 win puts the Mustangs up against top-seeded Humboldt, a 47-29 winner over St. Paul, in the tournament semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday in the IHS gymnasium.
Crest will take on St. Paul, also at 8 p.m. Thursday, in the Iola Elementary School gym.
“We really cranked up our intensity, our pressure,” Iola head coach Luke Bycroft said. “I keep talking about playing to win every possession. It’s one of the phrases I’ve used for years. Give your very best of every possession. That’s the type of desperation I was talking about.
“In practice, we do a good job of going all-out,” he continued. “In games, we tend to be a bit more conservative. But that’s how we need to approach every possession. I’ve got to win this possession.”
Iola’s Eli Adams and Landon Weide spearheaded the furious comeback after Crest led by as many as 14 in the second half.
Weide’s driving layup put Iola ahead 48-46 — the Mustangs’ first lead since early in the second quarter — as part of a dizzying sequence to end the game.
The Lancers led 42-33 before Adams converted a 3-point play with just over 4 minutes left on the clock. Stetson Setter, one of three Lancer starters to foul out before the final buzzer, scored to make it 44-36, but Weide responded quickly with a driving layup to make it 44-38.
Adams drilled a 3-pointer, his third of the contest, to make it 44-41 with 3 minutes left.
Karter Miller hit 1 of 2 charities to re-establish a 4-point Lancer lead, but Weide raced in for a layup and foul. His free throw suddenly had Iola within a point, 45-44.
Crest’s Jack White hit the first of 2 free throw attempts for a 46-44 lead, but Adams again wasted no time in racing upcourt for a tying layup.
Adams missed the subsequent free throw attempt, but Iola’s Preston Hurst forced a tie-up on the ensuing rebound, allowing Iola to keep possession.
That set up Weide’s driving layup at the 1-minute mark for Iola’s 48-46 lead.
Iola’s Mac Leonard then jumped in front of Lancer pass, feeding Adams for another layup, and suddenly, Iola was up 50-46. The bucket gave Adams a career-high 26 points.
