FREDONIA Slated against one-seed Cherryvale in the second round of the Wilson County Classic, the five-seeded Iola Fillies gave the Chargers a run for their money.
The Fillies led 23-18 late in the third quarter before a fourth-quarter Cherryvale charge sunk Iolas hopes of advancing to the tournaments championship. The Chargers inched past Iola 35-29.
I felt like we really battled, head coach Becky Carlson said.
Battle the Fillies did, indeed. With the score tied at 5-5, a layup from Lauryn Holloway and a trey from Elysia Kunkler helped the Fillies hold a 10-7 advantage heading into the second quarter.
In the second, Iolas offense appeared to stand still. Little ball movement compiled with turnovers from Cherryvales full-court press did the Fillies no favors. The Chargers held the Fillies to five points in the period, and led 16-15 at halftime.
Perhaps the one-point halftime deficit against a quality Cherryvale side is a testament to how far this Filly team has improved in the month of January. St. Marys-Colgan suffocated Iolas ball-handlers with a stifling full-court press in the first game of the new year. But now, Carlson senses a higher level of maturity.
This team in a lot of ways is much better than Colgan. They have a lot more offensive weapons, Carlson said. We didnt back off tonight, and we were more aggressive coming to get the ball, plus we werent scared.
The Fillies found their rhythm to start the second half. Back-to-back jumpers by Hannah Gardner and Holloway helped Iola regain its lead. Later in the period, Becca Sprague found Kunkler for her second 3-pointer of the afternoon, giving Iola a 23-18 advantage.
The Chargers answered with two consecutive 3-pointers from Kelsi Lantz to regain the lead before the end of the third. Lantz converted once again from long range to start the fourth as the Chargers raced to a 27-24 lead.
After 13 straight Cherryvale points, Holloway responded with a strong finish inside, making the score 25-31. Too many easy misses at the rim and turnovers doomed Iolas chances of regaining the lead in the fourth.
Iola pulled within four after Ella Taylors put-back layup of a Kunkler miss, but the Fillies failed to manage their way any closer. The Chargers held on for a 35-29 victory.
With the loss, Iola will face tournament host Fredonia on Friday at 3:15 in the Bateman gym at Fredonia High. While the Fillies are no longer in the hunt for first place in the Wilson County Classic, Carlson emphasizes the goal is to earn bronze.
I told the girls we are not playing for fourth, we are playing for third, Carlson said. So, we are going to get third in this tournament, I hope.
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