Playing on the third night of a four-game-in-four-day stretch, one might worry if Iola High’s Mustangs are running low on fuel.
Maybe not.
With a renewed vigor lacking in their recent three-game losing streak, the Mustangs took the upper hand early and were never threatened down the stretch in a 62-45 win over visiting Osawatomie.
The regular season wraps up tonight at home against Santa Fe Trail.
The Mustangs open Class 4A substate play at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Fort Scott.
“We’re forgetting the previous 12 wins and six losses. And we’re building for substate today,” said Iola head coach Luke Bycroft.
“This is a step in the right direction,” he said. “Today was better than we have been recently. Tomorrow needs to be even better than today. Then we’ll get to practice and be even better for next week.”
Having more nights like Tyler Boeken’s will help.
The junior forward dominated inside, to the tune of 20 points and 13 rebounds.
“He did a good job of being aggressive,” Bycroft said. “He was more athletic than their big kid, and stronger and more athletic than their smaller guys. They were playing behind him, and we were able to get the ball into him. Sometimes we didn’t even throw it in when he was open. We weren’t looking as much as we should have early on.”
Boeken was a mainstay from the early going, even though he started the game on the bench. (Bycroft is ending the regular season by giving all of the IHS seniors a chance to start.)
Boeken entered with Iola trailing, 6-4, and promptly scored six of Iola’s next eight points.
Boeken scored 10 in the first half, while Dillon Bycroft scored eight.
But Iola was unable to pull away, thanks to the hot hand of Osawatomie’s Chris Pursley, who connected for five 3-pointers and scoring 20 points before intermission. Pursley’s trey with 40 seconds left sliced Iola’s lead to 26-25.
Jack Adams raced upcourt for a layup, giving the Mustangs a 28-25 lead at the break.
Bradyn Cole’s steal and layup midway through the third quarter pushed the Mustangs up by eight before Oz responded with a 5-0 run.
It was as close as the Trojans could get in the second half. Boeken scored on a putback, Landon Carson hit a 3-pointer and Jack Adams converted a steal and layup to push the lead to double digits. Cole’s shot at the 6:35 mark put Iola in front, 51-35.
