OSAWATOMIE — While Iola High’s boys aren’t the most talented bunch, and they occasionally leave head coach Bill Peeper scratching his head, there was one thing he could count on: “I knew they’d always play hard.”
Friday’s contest, a 61-51 loss to host Osawatomie High, left Peeper frustrated.
“Tonight was the first time this season I couldn’t say we were playing hard all the time,” he said. “That’s what we do best, but not tonight.”
Osawatomie used a 15-4 run late in the second quarter to turn a 20-17 Iola advantage into a 32-24 Trojan lead at halftime.
Iola didn’t go down without a fight.
A ferocious comeback pulled the Mustangs to within three in the final minute before Osawatomie hit five straight free throws and to close the game on a 7-0 run.
“The second quarter killed us,” Peeper said. “We just seem to have one quarter each game where we just can’t get things to go the way we want.”
Iola’s defensive intensity late in the first half was lacking, he said. “We did such a poor job, and we just gave them whatever shot they wanted.”
Still, Peeper was pleased with Iola’s second-half effort.
The Trojans led 37-26 before Iola’s comeback took root. Latta scored seven points as part of a 10-4 run to cut the deficit to 41-36.
But Osawatomie had an answer for every Iola challenge. Michael Pursley’s 3-pointer pushed the lead back to eight. Morgan Soucie followed with a basket to push the lead back to 46-36.
Iola’s press pared a 50-38 deficit to three, 54-51, on Latta’s 3-pointer with 25 seconds left on the clock. Osawatomie threw long over the Mustang press, where Riley England swooped in for a layup and free-throw to cap the three-point play. Adam Kauth missed two free throws for Iola before Cole Ryal hit four straight charities for the final spread.
The first quarter was nip and tuck. Neither team led by more than three. Latta’s driving layup gave the Mustangs a 12-11 lead at the end of the period.
Kaden Macha played brilliantly early in the second period, scoring 10 of the Mustangs’ 12 points in the quarter. His putback midway through the quarter gave Iola 22-19 lead.
“Kaden is a hard-working dude,” Peeper said. “He absolutely carried us for a while. We have a couple of kids like that, who will go all out all the time to the point of exhaustion. Our problem is, we only have a few players like that, and not five or more.”
But Osawatomie took particular advantage of Tyler Powelson’s absence late the half with foul trouble. Soucie scored on consecutive possessions to give the Trojans a 23-22 lead with 2 minutes remaining in the half.
Iola never led again. England and Sheldon Booe scored to push the lead to 27-22. Macha’s basket with 50 seconds left only abated Osawatomie’s run slightly before Rayl drained a 3-pointer and hit two free throws in the last 20 seconds for a 32-24 halftime lead.
Latta scored 15 points with three steals and two assists to pace the Mustangs. Macha followed with 12 points and five rebounds. Tyler McIntosh added eight points, five rebounds and two assists. Kauth added six boards. Powelson had five rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Rayl’s 17 led the Trojans. England followed with 15 and Booe had 14.
Iola’s junior varsity prevailed, 39-35. Brett Taylor and Kohl Endicott had 12 points each. Travis Hermstein added eight.
In C team action, Iola won, 32-19. Braden Plumlee scored eight points to lead Iola. Chase Regehr had seven rebounds.
Iola hosts Central Heights Tuesday in the Mustangs’ first home game since their season-opener Dec. 6. It’s also Iola’s last home game until returning to the friendly confines Jan. 31.
Iola (12-12-10-17—51)
Osawatomie (11-21-9-20—60)
Iola (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Latta 4/1-1-2-15, Mueller 0-0-1-0, Wallace 3-0-5-6, Endicott 0-0-1-0, McIntosh 3-2-3-8, Zimmerman 0/1-0-1-3, Macha 6-0-5-12, Kauth 1-3-1-5, Powelson 1-0-4-2. TOTALS: 18/3-6-23-51.
Osawatomie (FG/3p-FT-F-TP): Pursley 0/1-0-2-3, England 6-3-4-15, Varnell 1-0-0-2, Soucie 5-0-4-10, Rayl 4/1-6-2-17, Booe 5-4-2-14. TOTALS: 21/2-13-14-61.
Mustang comeback comes up short
