RICHMOND — A strong finishing kick allowed Iola High to remain a step ahead of Heritage Christian Friday.
The Mustangs saw a nine-point second-half lead dissipate before responding with 7-0 run to take a 39-32 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Then, after Heritage Christian pulled back within two, the Mustangs’ Zoie Hesse took over underneath, scoring six points in a critical stretch to seal a 48-41 victory.
The win, in the fifth-place game of the Ike Cearfoss Memorial Tournament, improves Iola to 3-1 on the season. Iola wraps up its pre-Christmas schedule with a pair of home games next week. The Mustangs host Burlington Tuesday and Prairie View on Thursday.
The Mustangs controlled the action through much of the first half Friday, but an inability to cash in on inside looks allowed Heritage Christian to stay close with Iola ahead 17-14 at the break.
Iola’s Reese Curry started the third quarter with a bang, scoring Iola’s first six points out of the break before Hesse converted a 3-point play and then scored on a putback and two free throws to make it 30-21.
The Chargers sized momentum early in the fourth quarter, putting together an 11-2 run to knot the score at 32-32.
Harper Desmarteau recorded a key steal that led to a pair of free throws to push Iola back in front. Alana Mader then followed with a charity, before her missed free throw turned into a putback bucket for Hesse, pushing Iola ahead by five.
The lead was 39-32 before Heritage Christian’s Hailey Stapleton connected on a 3-pointer and Ella Grace Gower scored on an inbound play after an Iola turnover made it 39-37 with 4 minutes left.
But the Mustangs beat Olathe Heritage’s pressure defense, leading to an easy layup from Hesse. Then, after Heritage Christian missed, Mader and Hesse served up a carbon copy of their earlier scoring combo. Mader hit a free throw and then missed the second, only to see Hesse corral the rebound and score on the putback. Suddenly the lead was back to 46-37.
Hesse wound up with 19 points, while Curry scored 10 and Desmarteau had eight. Elza Clift had seven points and Mader scored four.
Mia Vinson scored 20 to lead Heritage Christian.
IN OTHER tournament actions, Humboldt High’s boys and girls both captured first place in Humboldt’s Emprise Bank Preseason Tournament.
The Lady Cubs capped a 3-0 week with a 44-25 win over Erie, while Humboldt’s boys defeated Erie, 56-29, to cap its spotless week.
Marmaton Valley, meanwhile, knocked off Chetopa, 62-24, to finish its preseason tournament with a 2-1 week..
