Middle School teams split at Pony Stampede

A pair of Iola Middle School girls basketball teams brought home victories Saturday as part of the IMS Pony Stampede basketball tournament.
In the A team tournament, visiting Royster Middle School scored nine fourth-quarter points to break open a close game and defeat Iola 20-14.
The Ponies rebounded in the third-place game, holding off Parsons 28-25.
In the B team tournament, Iola defeated Royster 14-8 in the opener, before falling to Independence 21-6 in the championship game to take second place.

IOLA LED Royster 3-2 after one quarter in the A team opener before the Rockets took a 5-3 lead at the break. The score was 11-10 before the Rockets closed the game with a 9-4 run.
Colbi Riley led the Ponies with six points and three rebounds, followed by Eliza Hale with four points and six rebounds, Katie Bauer with two points and eight boards and Karly McGuffin with two points and six rebounds.
The Ponies secured third place by defeating Parsons. Iola led 7-4 after one quarter and 10-8 at the break. Parsons cut the gap to 20-19 after three quarters.
Riley scored 12 points with four rebounds. Hale had six points and four rebounds. McGuffin had five points and eight boards. Scout Rush had two points and seven rebounds. Madison Carlin scored two points and Bauer had one point and seven rebounds.
“
The girls played hard all day,” Ponies coach Marty Taylor said. “Karly, Katie and Scout are doing a much better job of taking care of the inside and rebounding.”

BROOK Storrer scored six points to lead the B team in its win against Royster. Chloe Wilson and Savannah McCulley added four points each. Kayla Underwood and Carly Cescon each scored two.
Underwood scored four points for Iola against Independence. Storrer and Macayla Bycroft each had two points.
“The girls did a great job,” Tayor said. “They should be proud of their effort.”