Going into Monday night’s makeup game, Iola High’s Fillies had just two games to make a statement about where they might be seeded in next week’s Kansas Class 4A substate tournament.
The Fillies and Fort Scott High’s Tigers were both 9-8 overall. Both are in the same substate and had makeup games Monday night.
Of course for the Fillies, it wasn’t lost on them that Monday’s game at home was against Southeast Kansas League archrival Chanute High’s Blue Comets. Three games were left in the regular season, all SEK contests for the Fillies.
After a slow start, the Fillies finished shooting 54 percent from the field Monday in a 50-30 victory over Chanute. Chanute came into the game at 4-2, 9-9.
“This was a big win for us all the way around. We’ve been winning recently because of the team contribution,” said Becky Carlson, Fillies’ head coach.
“Again tonight, everybody contributed. We’re just playing better and better basketball, which is what you want at this time of the season.”
The Fillies are 4-2 in SEK play and 10-8 overall. But they have no time to rest. League-leading Labette County (6-0, 14-3) comes into the IHS gym tonight.
Iola finishes the regular season at Independence (4-2, 11-7) Thursday. Fort Scott and Parsons were also 3-2 and 9-8 playing each other Monday night. Parsons beat Fort Scott 52-34.
The Blue Comets rocketed to a 9-2 lead and Iola senior post player Kayla Callahan went to the Iola bench with two fouls by the 3:26 mark of the first period.
One of the “big threes” of the night came with 11.9 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Iola trailed 9-3 when senior Toni Taylor drilled a three-pointer. Iola was down by just three at the end of the period.
Chanute’s Mackenzey Sutcliffe sank a free throw and Morgan Olson had a basket to push the Comets’ lead to 12-6 in the opening minute of the second quarter.
After that Iola’s defense shut down the Chanute offense, giving up just two more points before halftime. Senior Carly Mulsow had a putback for Iola then Callahan sparked things with three straight points.
Maggie Wilson, who left briefly in the first quarter with a twisted ankle, got a steal and basket. Kelsey Larson, a junior guard, then swiped the basketball, passed to Wilson on the fastbreak who in turned passed it to a trailing Kirstin McGuffin. The senior hit a short jumper in the lane and Iola was up 15-12.
Wilson drained a three-pointer at the 2:25 mark. Olson interrupted the Fillies’ run with a basket for the Comets. That was answered with a three by Wilson, then Wilson scored inside with five seconds left.
The Fillies were up 23-14 at halftime. When Chanute made a run to rally in the third, the Fillies answered.
Junior Kendra Taiclet and Mulsow had back-to-back baskets. Up 29-23, Taiclet hit another “big three” for Iola to start a 7-0 run to end the period. Iola held a 36-23 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Larson had two quick baskets in the final period to push the advantage to 40-23. Iola outscored Chanute 14-7 over the final eight minutes to seal the win.
Wilson ended up with 14 points to lead Iola. Taiclet had eight points and eight rebounds. Larson had six steals and five assists.
The Fillies hit 20 of 37 from the field and went 6 of 10 from the free-throw line. Iola had just 12 turnovers.
Sutcliffe led the Blue Comets with eight points. Chanute hit 5 of 14 free throw attempts.
Chanute won the junior varsity game 47-16. Keli Lee and Emily Ware each had five points for Iola.
In the freshman game, Chanute won 39-6. Emma Sigg had four points for Iola and Danielle Ware had two.
Iola (6-17-13-14—50) (FG/3-pt): Larson 2-2-2-6, Taiclet 2/1-1-2-8, Taylor 0/1-0-1-3, Wilson 4/2-0-1-14, Callahan 3-2-5-8, Mulsow 3-0-3-6, McGuffin 2-1-2-5. TOTALS: 16/4-6-16-50.
Chanute (9-5-9-7—30) (FG/3-pt): Erikson 1-2-3-4, M. Olson 3-0-1-6, Sutcliffe 1/1-3-2-8, B. Olson 0-0-3-0, Rubow 3-0-1-6, Wiltse 2-0-3-4, Keal 1-0-0-2. TOTALS: 11/1-5-13-30.
Fillies shoot down Comets in the SEK
