First wins are normally supposed to feel good, especially if you win by double-digits. But Iolas Thursday night 59-41 victory over Olathe Heritage in the consolation round of the Ike Cerfoss Tournament at Central Heights High School most definitely did not.
This is the most disappointing 18-point win Ive ever had, head coach Luke Bycroft said. Because that was terrible. We didnt deserve to win. And it was everybody at some point, top to bottom, at fault. It was lack of effort and lack of intelligence and decision-making.
The win moves the Mustangs to 1-1 this season.
Coming into the game, Iola had the clear advantage. They were bigger and faster with all upperclassmen in their starting rotation. However, Heritage always found a way to keep it close, most of the time with the help of Iola.
We think that were better than we are and I dont see any reason for that, Bycroft said. We want to be better without working to be better. Today we just let down. Part of that may be my fault for saying that Olathe Heritage was a team that we needed to play at a high level against to get better because theyre not like the team we played on Monday. And we didnt want to do that.
This game was so close that early on in the fourth quarter, that multiple times the Mustangs led by as little as three. With 3:30 to play in the game, Iola had stretched things out to 10 and finally after a full game of uneven play, were able to put the pedal down and close the game on a strong run to win by 18.
It was only in the fourth quarter when we started to see some better things, Bycroft said. We moved the ball a little bit and passed the ball and we got easy baskets which is what we were supposed to do during the entire game.
A rocky first quarter saw Iola taking a two-point lead into the second quarter but after stretching their lead to nine points, things seemed to be going in the right direction.
But Heritage whittled that down and Iola went into the half up 27-19.
Iola ended the game with 22 missed field goals and 15 turnovers.
The Mustangs jumped back up to a 10-point lead to start the second half but a 6-0 run by Heritage put them within six. Sensing a lack of effort, Bycroft took his starters out and cleared the bench in search of a better effort, which he found.
We discussed what we wanted to do at halftime and we came out and did not execute, Bycroft said. And my thinking was it wasnt one person at fault, but multiple people. When they get three offensive rebounds on one possession, its multiple peoples fault. So we went elsewhere.
It wasnt until early in the fourth quarter when the game seemed seriously in jeopardy for Iola and Bycroft his starters back on the floor.
Senior Hunter Preston had 14 points followed by senior Kane Rogers who had 11. Junior Cal Leonard had eight, senior Blake Ashmore had seven, Cole Regehr had six, junior Noah Ashmore had five, and Dylan Newland, Blake Haar, Derek Bycroft and Calvin Delich had two points.
The Mustangs will wrap up tournament week tonight versus KC Christian in the fifth-place game at 8 p.m.
