GARNETT — Iola Middle School’s eighth-grade girls followed up their 2024 regular season league title with a runner-up finish Saturday at the Pioneer League Postseason Tournament.
The Mustangs came up short in the title game, falling 27-19 to Santa Fe Trail, to end the year with a 12-2 mark.
Earlier in the day, Iola defeated Prairie View, 30-18, to advance to the finals.
A slow start for Iola in the championship game set the tone.
Santa Fe Trail opened with an 8-2 lead after one quarter. Iola eventually cut the lead to four points in the third quarter, but the Chargers followed with a 7-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Haidyn Desmarteau led Iola with 11 points, followed by Breighlynn Rutherford’s six points and six rebounds. Kailyn Rodriguez added two points and six boards. Kashyn Curry also scored two.
IOLA put together a 17-7 run over the second and third quarters in its semifinals win after trailing, 7-6, after one quarter.
Desmarteau led with 11 points, followed by Cam Wille with nine and Rutherford with seven. Eliana Higginbotham scored two and Jayna Ivy one.
NEXT up for IMS athletics is girls wrestling, which opens Dec. 9 with a meet at Anderson County.
