BURLINGTON — Iola High’s 57-52 overtime loss to Burlington Tuesday was painful in more ways than one.
It wasn’t supposed to be that way.
After a back-and-forth battle for much of the early going, the Mustangs found their groove after halftime, playing perhaps their best basketball of the season.
They turned a 27-20 third-quarter deficit into an eight-point lead with 5 minutes remaining.
“We had control of the game,” Iola head coach Luke Bycroft said.
But disaster — in the form of a twisted ankle to starting point guard Landon Weide — changed the game’s complexion entirely.
Weide landed on the foot of a Burlington player as the two battled for a rebound beneath Iola’s basket. He exited the game for the next 2 minutes, 33 seconds, to get his ankle taped.
But even upon his return, Weide’s signature speed was lacking as he moved with a noticeable limp.
Burlington pounced, forcing six straight empty Iola possessions.
The Wildcats sandwiched back-to-back 3-pointers around consecutive Mustang turnovers, and then Sage Fejfar’s steal and layup pulled the Wildcats even at 41-41. Maddux Cheever pushed the Wildcats back ahead with a basket at the 2:11 mark. Two more Iola turnovers followed before Fejfar made it 45-41 with an inside bucket at the 1-minute mark.
Cortland Carson’s jumper ended Iola’s 4-minute scoring drought with 45 seconds left in regulation to pull Iola within 3.
Fejfar and Carson then each went 1 of 2 from the line on each team’s next possession, before the Wildcats were called for traveling when Fejfar corralled a missed bucket, but fell to the floor in the process with 15 seconds left.
That allowed Carson to drive in for the tying layup with 10 seconds left in regulation.
The Wildcats missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
Weide’s injury “definitely changed where we were,” Bycroft said. “We needed guys who can take care of the ball, and I didn’t have enough timeout to get us to calm down.”
Burlington retook momentum in the overtime, converting offensive rebounds into second-change points.
Cheever and Carson both converted 3-point plays to start the extra session, before Fejfar’s putback pushed the Wildcats back ahead for good.
