GARNETT — The Iola High boys and girls were swept in their pair of matchups at Anderson County on Friday night.
The Iola High boys (7-10) took a four-point lead in the second half but couldn’t hold on in the 61-52 loss.
The Mustang girls (4-14) were the less physical team and were controlled in the paint in a 52-22 defeat.
Iola boys
Both teams traded points through the first quarter including when Eli Adams hit a go-ahead three midway to go up 7-4.
Anderson County’s Dallas Kneser subsequently matched Adams’ effort, scoring a trio of layups.
“We were selfish and lazy,” Iola head coach Luke Bycroft said. “We didn’t rotate and help come inside to defend. We were slow in transition. There’s no reason for that. They’re not faster than us.”
Mustang Lucas Maier knocked down a two-point jumper at the end of the first at the buzzer to knot the game at 12-12.
Iola’s Cortland Carson hit a three and a pair of two-point jumpers. Caden Register scored eight points on five two-point baskets which helped the Bulldogs take a 26-21 advantage at halftime.
Landon Weide helped the Mustangs come alive in the third quarter when he hit a corner three-pointer to bring his team within one point, 30-29.
Leonard hit a three midway through the third to put Iola ahead, 32-30.
“We did not play together except for the third quarter but that was it and you saw the difference,” said Bycroft. “The reason we hit shots was because we did what we’ve been talking about in transition.”
The Mustangs were then helped out by another three-pointer delivered off the fingers of Cortland Carson to go ahead by four points, 36-32. Register scored six points in the third to help Anderson County go up by two headed into the fourth quarter, 45-43.
Anderson County went on a 5-0 scoring run through six minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 50-43 advantage. Kneser hit a trio of two-point baskets and a free throw to lead the Bulldogs’ fourth quarter attack.
Carson led Iola offensively with 18 points, followed by Weide’s 13 points and Adams nine points. Leonard also scored eight points.
