The Iola High boys and girls wrapped up the War on 54 Tournament in opposite fashion on Friday evening.
The Mustang boys (6-6; 1-2) came up just short in the final seconds of the championship game against Cherryvale, 50-47, while the Iola girls (4-9; 0-1) pummeled Yates Center, 42-27.
Girls Basketball
The Mustangs bounced back from their loss to Crest the night before and controlled the game on both ends of the floor. Eight different Iola players scored, and the defense held Yates Center to single-digit scoring in every quarter except the third.
Iola began their night by outscoring Yates Center in the first quarter 11-6. Karingten Hall and Kaysin Crusinbery each went for a pair of two-point baskets.
Aysha Houk picked up where she left off all season by burying a three in the second quarter. Keira Fawson also banked in a couple of layups to help extend Iola’s halftime lead to nine points.
The Wildcats received most of their first half scoring off the fingers of Kenley Morrison and Grace Westerman, who each scored four points in the half. Iola led Yates Center heading to half, 22-13.
Yates Center cut their deficit to four points by the end of the third, the closest they would get to Iola. The scoring surge for the Wildcats was led mainly by Peyton Petit and Westerman’s four points apiece.
Iola’s defense stepped up in the fourth when they held Yates Center to only one point, a Westerman free throw. The Mustangs received points from six different scorers in the fourth to help secure the win.
Elza Clift and Reese Curry led the balanced fourth quarter scoring.
Houk led the Mustangs scoring attack with 11 points, followed by Hall, Fawson and Crusinbery’s six points apiece.
Boys Basketball
Iola’s boys led Cherryvale by nine points heading to the fourth quarter and led by double digits multiple times throughout the second half. Still, the Mustangs found a way to allow the Chargers back into the game and take the lead in the final minute.
Ultimately, following a pair of go-ahead free throws and a transition layup from Cherryvale’s Stetson Schaffer, Iola’s Mac Leonard was fouled at the three-point line. The Mustangs were down by three with no time left on the clock.
Leonard missed all three shots, but the loss was due to the Mustangs’ lack of presence on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter.
