BURLINGTON — No, it was not the type of game they wanted to end their run through the 19th Annual Burlington High Invitational.
But there’s no doubt Iola High’s Mustangs are a different team in 2011-2012. Most of the same players are on the squad that posted only one win a year ago.
A Mustang team had never come out on the championship side of the Burlington Invitational. This year’s Iola boys’ basketball team made it all the way to Saturday’s championship game.
Unfortunately, the Mustangs ran into the Burlington Invitational juggernaut — Kansas Class 4A sixth-ranked Topeka Hayden High’s Wildcats. The Wildcats scorched the nets in the Burlington High gym Saturday, shooting 64 percent (25 of 39) from the field, as they claimed their sixth straight Burlington Invitational championship with a 65-22 win over Iola.
“Some of it was what Hayden did but a lot of it was us. We were beaten before we stepped on the court tonight and that’s disappointing,” said Bill Peeper, Mustang head coach. “Our nice steady upward trend took a hit tonight but we’ll see who we are now.
“If we are who I believe we are, we’ll come back from this and be ready for our final eight games, which are all league games.”
Hayden rarely missed a shot in the first quarter in building a 20-7 advantage. The Wildcats pushed their way to a 31-13 halftime lead.
Then they hit their first five field goal attempts in the third quarter, led by Sam Glennon, who was awarded the championship game MVP award. Glennon drilled three of his five three-pointers in a stunning 28-5 run by the Cats in that period. He finished the game with 19 points.
Iola opened the game with a field goal from Braden Larson. Hayden countered with a three-point play by Collin Strobel. Iola’s last lead of the contest came at the 6:17 mark when Christian Kauth scored a basket, 4-3.
Strobel hit two free throws to trigger a 17-3 surge by the Wildcats. Hayden’s pressure defense created Iola turnovers, leading to easy baskets in transition.
Levi Ashmore was fouled with 33.3 seconds left in the first quarter. Ashmore’s attempt was the first shot Iola had been able to take since Kauth’s basket. Ashmore, who was named to the all-tournament team, hit one of two from the free-throw line.
It was 17-7. The Mustangs did not score again until Kauth sank two charities with 4:59 left in the second period, making it 27-9. Larson had the other four points in the quarter for Iola.
“We quit doing the things that got us here. We have to go into a game and play with confidence no matter what name is on the uniform of our opponent,” Peeper said. “Until this game, we’ve played very well against teams out of our league but when we play league opponents we don’t play with as much confidence.”
Peeper said he believed in his players to come back from Saturday’s performance. The Mustangs (7-5) open Southeast Kansas League play Friday when Coffeyville’s Field Kindley High’s Golden Tornado (8-2) comes in for the IHS homecoming contest.
Larson led Iola with 11 points. Iola shot a frigid 17 percent, 6 of 36, from the field. The Mustangs sank 10 of 12 free throw attempts.
