GARNETT Iola High fought tooth and nail to earn a 46-40 victory over Anderson County on Friday night in the Mustangs season opener. Head coach Luke Bycroft was impressed by his teams physical display, despite being slightly out-sized, which carried Iola over the hump.
If I would have known the game was going to be that physical, I would have thought we would have a hard time surviving, Bycroft said. But we played just as physical, and that is what I am most encouraged by.
While Iola failed to score on its first five attempts from the floor, Derek Rockers put the Bulldogs ahead 5-0 with a deep 3-pointer and finish in the lane. Cal Leonard opened the Mustang scoring with a 15-foot jumper from the elbow as Iola trailed 7-2 in the early goings.
We were attacking, but you still have to be able to calm down and finish, Bycroft said. I think we were excited, missed a lot of shots early, and didnt shoot the ball well throughout the game. We had some good looks for guys who normally will knock some shots down. If we had knocked down some of those, the game wouldnt have been as close.
The Mustangs closed the Bulldog lead to 17-13 after a basket from Bradyn Cole, but Rockers continued to flourish for Anderson County with a deep 3-pointer to start the second quarter. The Mustangs brought the score within two after Dillons 3-point effort, but the Bulldogs responded with a 6-0 run to close the quarter. Heading into halftime, Iola trailed 26-20.
After an early turnover to start the second half, the Mustangs didnt look back. Leonards steal and finish sparked a 10-2 run to put the Mustangs ahead 30-28. Both Carson and Delich provided the aggressive spark in the second half. The backcourt pair combined for eight third-quarter points, along with Leonard who chipped in five.
I had a conversation with Landon and Calvin at halftime and told them that they need to get to the rim, Bycroft said. They might have missed a couple of shots early, but that shouldnt stop you from getting to the rim.
While the Mustangs’ offense flourished in the second half, it was their defense that stood firm, After switching between a zone and man-to-man defense, Bycroft elected to stay with a man defense. The defensive switch shut down Rockers, who scored only once from the floor in the second half.
Iola led 37-34 to start the final period, and increased their lead after Carson converted both attempts from the charity stripe. Carson extended the Mustang lead to 42-36 after two more successful free throws with 2:52 remaining. All of Iolas final four points came from the free-throw line, as the Mustangs sealed the Bulldogs 46-40.
Carson finished as Iolas leading scorer with 14 points, and was followed by Leonard with 10.
With the win, Iola starts its season 1-0, and will travel to Central Heights on Monday to begin a three-day tournament.
