CARBONDALE — Everything that went right for Iola High’s boys in the first half Friday went sour after intermission.
The Mustangs rode a 25-16 lead into the break, but host Santa Fe Trail had a “Long” answer in quarters three and four.
The Chargers’ John Long erupted after the break, scoring 22 of his game-high 27 points in the third and fourth periods as Santa Fe Trail rallied for a 43-39 win.
The loss in the regular season finale drops iola to 10-10 on the season. The Mustangs now venture into the Class 4A-II Substate Playoffs, where they will travel to Frontenac either Thursday or Friday to take on the host Raiders. (Date and time information for substate had not been released by press time.)
Long’s heroics almost short-circuited down the stretch.
He missed four consecutive free throws at one point as the Chargers threatened to build an insurmountable lead in the waning seconds.
But a Charger steal with Iola trailing by 2 brought Long back at the line. He went 1 of 2 to give Santa Fe Trail a 52-49 lead with under 10 seconds remaining.
An errant pass on the inbounds pass was the final nail in Iola’s coffin. Long was sent back to the line and missed the first of two charities before hitting the second, giving the Chargers the final four-point margin.
The second half was far cry from the first, in which Iola zipped to leads of 7-0 and 9-2 early in the contest.
Santa Fe Trail heated up from outside to eventually tie the score at 13-13 late in the first period. Iola responded with a 12-0 run, capped by Blake Ashmore’s 3-pointer, followed moments later by an Ethan Holloway bucket.
Long’s basket in the last minute of the half was the Chargers’ only field goal of the period.
Things got a bit testy from there, as a Charger player got tangled up with Iola’s Hunter Preston on Iola’s ensuing possession. Both were whistled for technical fouls in the ensuing scrum.
Santa Fe Trail caught fire in the third quarter, closing the gap to one point before another Mustang run pushed Iola’s lead back to eight.
Long hit a couple of shots late in the quarter to cut Iola’s lead to 37-33 by the start of the fourth period.
An 8-0 Charger run early in the final frame gave Santa Fe Trail the lead for the first and only time.
Iola never led again.
Ashmore came off the bench to lead the Mustangs with 15 points. Holloway followed with 10. But as indicative of Iola’s night, he went scoreless in the second half.
