Iola High controlled its matchup with Prairie View from the outset Tuesday, leading from start to finish in a 70-40 romp to snap a three-game losing streak.
But in peeling back the layers, Mustang head coach Luke Bycroft sees room for improvement.
“There are times I’m not as worried about what we’re doing as I am worried about how we’re doing it,” Bycroft explained.
Iola took control with a 13-3 run late in the first quarter, and maintained a double-digit lead from there.
The Mustangs did so by attacking the basket, Bycroft noted.
Six Iola players scored in the second quarter as Iola took a 33-19 lead into halftime. Eight Mustangs recorded field goals or free throws in the third period as the margin swelled to 58-31 by the start of the fourth quarter. Bycroft sat his starters once the margin reached 30 points early in the fourth period, triggering a running clock for the balance of the game.
But Iola also too often settled for outside shots against Prairie View’s defense, which was focused on slowing the Mustangs’ Cortland Carson with a box-and-one defensive strategy.
“With a box and one, you can get a jump shot any time you want,” Bycroft explained. “But there were opportunities for better shots out there.”
Iola took 13 3-point attempts in the first and second quarters.
“I’m not opposed to taking that many 3s, but we didn’t need to take that many tonight,” he said.
And while Iola was able to stay safely ahead, the Mustangs also had issues slowing the dribble drive of Prairie View junior guard Justin Fleer.
“We were flat on defense, and we didn’t move our feet,” Bycroft said. “We fouled him way too much.”
Fleer went to the line a whopping 16 times in the second and third quarters alone. He wound up with 23 points to lead the Buffalos.
Carson scored 17 to lead a balanced scoring attack. Landon Weide added 12. Matt Beckmon and Jayden Beene notched eight apiece. Lucas Maier scored seven.
Weide had four steals and four assists. Nick Bauer had four assists and a pair of steals. Dougherty and Beckmon added three steals each. Carson had six rebounds.
