| Register/Jocelyn Sheets Iola High’s Chris Heffern (10) and Charles Apt (32) go after a rebound in a home game against Fort Scott earlier this season. On Friday at Fort Scott, the Tigers downed the visiting Mustangs 63-32. |
FORT SCOTT — Iola High’s Mustangs grabbed a 14-13 lead over host Fort Scott High’s Tigers with about five minutes left in the second quarter Friday night.
The Tigers didn’t like that so they went on a 20-3 run before halftime. Fort Scott just kept moving away from Iola to secure a 63-32 victory in Southeast Kansas League play.
“We played fairly well for the first quarter and a half then we fell apart,” said Steve Taylor, Mustang head coach. “We just had no answer.”
The loss dropped the Mustangs to 3-11 in SEK action with two games to play. They are 5-13 overall.
Tuesday the Mustangs travel to Coffeyville, which leads the league. On Thursday, Iola hosts Pittsburg.
It was tit for tat early in the game. Fort Scott’s Logan Fancher hit two free throws. Iola’s Alec Peterson sank two free throws. Cody Harper drilled a three-pointer for the Tigers. Kent Toland drained a trey for the Mustangs.
Fort Scott’s Griffin Knopp scored a basket. Iola’s Michael Middleton had a field goal. The Tigers led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Down 13-9, the Mustangs had a mini-run to get in front. Toland had a free throw then Peterson scored on a putback and Seth Walden made a steal and went in for a layup.
The Tigers, who are now 10-5 and 12-7, took exception to that in their house. They took control from there and led 33-17 by the break. They never let up in the second half.
Iola shot 26 percent, 9 of 35, from the field and hit 12 of 21 free throw attempts. Fort Scott went 10 of 22 at the line plus hit seven three-pointers in the game.
Toland led Iola with 10 points. Chris Heffern grabbed five rebounds and Corey Taylor had four rebounds.
Iola lost Charles Apt to an ankle injury midway through the third quarter. Taylor said Apt was taken to the hospital in Fort Scott for x-rays.
The Mustangs also will play the rest of the season without Drew Walden, who had been the first player off the bench for Iola. Taylor said Walden had broken a bone in his left thumb.
Fort scott got 15 points from Knopp and 10 each from Gary Floyd and Harper.
Fort Scott won the junior varsity game 83-37. Corey Taylor had nine points and Jerrik Sigg added seven.
Iola’s freshmen won in overtime 68-65 as Tyler Clubine fired in 26 points. Levi Ashmore added 10.
Iola (9-8-11-4—32) (FG/3-pt): Cl. Heffern 0-3-0-3, Ch. Heffern 0-2-4-2, Sigg 1-0-0-2, Toland 2/1-3-0-10, Kauth 1-1-3-3, Taylor 0-0-2-0, S. Walden 1-0-1-2, Apt 0-0-2-0, Middleton 1/1-1-2-6, Larson 0-0-1-0, Peterson 1-2-3-3. TOTALS: 7/2-12-18-32.
Fort Scott (10-23-18-12—63) (FG/3-pt): Quick 0/1-0-1-3, Hull 2-1-1-5, Brown 1-0-1-2, Thorpe 0-0-2-0, Wright 0-2-3-2, Karleskint 1-0-2-2, Floyd 2/2-0-3-10, Wood 1/2-0-0-8, Knopp 6-3-3-15, Harper 2/2-0-1-10, Rienbolt 2-2-0-6, Fancher 2-2-1-6. TOTALS: 19/7-10-18-63.
