BURLINGTON — There was plenty to like when doing a forensic analysis of Iola High’s 64-52 win over host Burlington Friday.
Sure, you could point to the unselfish play. Unofficially, the Mustangs had an assist on 19 of their 24 baskets, a figure that’s impressive at any level.
Or you could look at Iola’s torrid shooting — 60% from the field, and from 3-point range — in part because of the crisp passing.
This was a big win for us. It shows we can play hard the whole game and we can compete with teams that play their butts off.Luke Bycroft, IHS head coach
But really, what pleased IHS head coach Luke Bycroft most was his team’s effort, especially in the second half.
The Mustangs limited Burlington to seven points in the third quarter, and continually forced the Wildcats to take guarded, tough shots down the stretch.
“It’s the effort,” Bycroft said, in repeating his message at halftime to his team: “The only way we lose tonight is if they out-work us. We’re better than they are, if we outwork them.”
That’s not an easy thing to do, he noted, because Burlington employs an aggressive pressure defense.
“This was a big win for us,” Bycroft said. “It shows we can play hard the whole game and we can compete with teams that play their butts off. They play hard.”
IOLA had a few key factors in its favor, perhaps none that shined as brightly as senior Landon Carson. He caught fire from 3-point range early, drilling four treys in the opening quarter, the last coming at the buzzer to give the Mustangs a 25-15 lead.
Then, when the Wildcats focused more on fronting Carson around the perimeter, he was equally adept at driving to the basket.
Still, Bycroft sensed danger.
Even with Carson’s hot hands, Burlington was staying within shouting distance after falling behind early, 14-4. The Wildcats ended the first quarter and started the second with a series of layups and 3-pointers of their own.
“We had a couple of lapses,” Bycroft noted. “Second quarter, we struggled a little bit stopping the ball. I think the offense was easy for them early, so they thought, ‘Oh, this will be a fun game.’ But those shots weren’t gonna keep falling in. You’ve gotta keep playing defense.”
The Wildcats briefly clawed back to within five late in the first half, but a pair of Dillon Bycroft baskets re-established a nine-point lead.
