BURLINGTON — What a difference a day makes. POWELSON AND Latta stepped up early for Iola, combining to score 10 of the team’s first 11 points as the Mustangs jumped to an 11-5 lead late in the first quarter.
Iola High’s Mustangs were able to erase the bitter taste of defeat Wednesday from one day earlier by converting a number of key defensive stops and hitting their free throws in the game’s final minute.
A thrilling 43-39 win over Louisburg High, coming in the second round of the Burlington Preseason Tournament, should provide Iola’s players all the proof they need of just how much difference intensity can make, their head coach said.
“If we go that hard every time out, we will be in every game we play, regardless of how we’re doing on offense,” Mustang coach Bill Peeper said.
To wit:
Just after Iola’s Tyler Powelson broke a 39-39 deadlock by converting the second of two free throws with 44.6 seconds left, teammate Levi Ashmore snuck in and stole a Louisburg pass to give possession back to the Mustangs.
Ashmore was fouled and drilled both free throws for a 42-39 lead with 18 seconds left.
Louisburg’s ensuing possession was snuffed when the Mustangs’ Trent Latta stepped in front of a driving John Stambaugh to draw the charging foul with seven seconds left. Mason Coons hit 1 of 2 free throws from there to seal the win for Iola.
The Mustangs (1-2 overall) were able to secure the win despite going without a field goal the final 4:53 of the fourth quarter by draining 8 of 12 free throws down the stretch.
“We had a lot of guys step up for us tonight,” Peeper said.
The victory comes 24 hours after a sluggish start led to a 76-61 loss to host Burlington to open tournament play for Iola.
“This was a big win for us, a good effort all the way around,” Peeper said. “ We didn’t shoot that well, but we did other things to keep us in the game. Effort is one thing you should never have to question about a team. Tonight there was no question about ours.”
With Iola, Louisburg and Burlington all at 1-1 in pod play, tournament organizers used point differential to determine seedings for Friday’s final round. Iola will play Chanute in the fifth place game at about 6:15 p.m. at Burlington Middle School. Despite Wednesday’s loss, Louisburg advances to the championship game to face Baldwin Friday. Burlington will take on Anderson County in the third place game.
Louisburg responded with a 10-0 run in the final 80 seconds of the period, the last five coming in a dizzying 12 seconds stretch before the buzzer, to take a 15-11 lead.
Latta was the catalyst in a 12-1 Mustang run to start the second quarter, scoring eight points in 4 1/2 minutes. Iola led 27-23 at halftime.
Defensive play was the theme after halftime. Iola mustered only three field goals in the third and fourth quarters.
Conversely, Louisburg was hitting from the field — somewhat — but the Wildcats frequently were limited to single shots on offense due the rugged inside play of Powelson and Coons, who combined for 21 rebounds.
Despite its struggles from the field, Iola had a decided upper hand from the free throw line. The Mustangs hit 18 of 25 free throws for the game, 72 percent, while Louisburg was only 3 of 9.
“Louisburg is a big, physical team,” Peeper said. “For us to get those rebounds was huge.”
Louisburg outscored Iola 10-5 in the third quarter to take a 33-32 lead into the fourth quarter, setting up the thrilling final stretch.
Latta and Powelson led the scoring charge for Iola with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Powelson grabbed 10 rebounds. Coons had seven points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Ashmore scored seven points, including a critical 3-pointer after Louisburg had pushed out to a 37-32 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Ashmore had four steals; Latta two.
E.R. Steffy paced Louisburg with 13 points.
Louisburg (15-8-10-6—39)
Iola (11-16-5-11—43)
Louisburg (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Storey 1/1-1-3-6, Steffy 2/3-0-4-13, Lesher 1-0-3-2, Wertz 1-1-5-3, Stambaugh 3-0-4-6, Garza 1-0-0-2, Sander 3-0-3-6, Ribordy 0-1-1-1. TOTALS: 12/4-3-23-39.
Iola (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Latta 3-6-4-12, Ashmore 0/1-4-3-7, Coons 1-3-3-5, McIntosh 0-2-3-2, Clubine 1-0-1-2, Macha 1-0-0-2, Kauth 1-0-1-2, Powelson 4-3-2-11. TOTALS: 11/1-18-17-43.
Mustangs emerge late to down Louisburg
