WELLSVILLE — Trouble came in threes for Iola High’s Mustangs Tuesday.
Wellsville High’s three-headed monster — forward Carter Mann and guards Cole Silsby and Shamus Kearney — combined to drain six 3-pointers and pair of traditional 3-point plays during the evening’s festivities.
They accounted for all 19 of the Eagles’ points in pivotal quarter number three, turning a four-point halftime deficit into a lead they would not relinquish in a 62-56 victory.
The loss also happens to be the third in the row for the Mustangs, who dropped to 7-7 on the season.
“We did a poor job of stopping their offense, and keeping them from doing whatever they wanted,” Mustang coach Bill Peeper said. “We didn’t react that well to how physical the game was.”
Especially in the second half. On multiple occasions, a Mustang player would corral a rebound down or pull in a pass down low only to run into a defender ready to swipe at the ball.
The frenetic play turned into plenty of transition points for the Eagles, who trailed 31-27 early in the second half before embarking on a 15-3 run, keyed by a 3-pointer and a pair of traditional 3-point plays by Mann in a two-minute span.
Silsby, meanwhile, kept the momentum squarely in Wellsville’s favor by draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 46-38 lead after the third quarter.
Iola did not go quietly.
Adam Kauth scored a bucket with 6 1/2 minutes remaining in the contest, and Mason Coons’ 3-pointer 30 seconds later cut the deficit to 49-43 with 6 minutes left.
But Mann responded with another trey to push the lead to 52-43.
Wellsville’s margin was 60-49 when Coons scored. Kearney went 1 for 2 on a pair of free throws, and the Mustangs’ Tyler Clubine hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to cut the gap to six.
Tyler McIntosh later pared the deficit to 61-56 with a free throw with 17 seconds left, but Iola could get no closer.
The teams traded momentum swings in the early going. Iola ran off seven straight points to lead 9-4 before Wellsville later responded with a 10-2 run to lead 14-11.
The game featured five lead changes in the first half. Tyler Powelson’s basket with 15 seconds left in the second quarter gave the Mustangs a 29-27 lead at intermission.
The Mustangs sported four players in double figures, led by Coons with 13 points and three assists, Powelson with 11 points, 10 rebounds and two steals and Trent Latta and Kauth with 10 points apiece. Latta also had four assists. Powelson earned a starting spot due to Levi Ashmore’s absence (illness) and responded with eight points (six in the first half) and 10 rebounds .
“Tyler (Powelson) really did a nice job with his aggressiveness,” Peeper said.
Silsby (19 points), Mann (18) and Kearney (13) accounted for 50 of Wellsville’s 62 points.
“We just have to learn from our mistakes and get better,” Peeper said. “Anderson County plays the same style, so we’ll have to be ready for them Friday.”
Iola won the junior varsity contest 40-30, led by Kohl Endicott with 10, Adam Peterson with eight, Fryendz Wallace with seven and Bryan Mueller with six. Kaden Macha scored four points and Jesse Zimmerman and Shane Walden scored two each.
The Mustangs host Anderson County. Tip-off is scheduled for about 7:30 p.m.
Iola (9-20-9-18—56)
Wellsville (10-17-19-16—62)
Iola (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Latta 2/2-0-2-10, Coons 3/1-4-4-13, Tyler McIntosh 2/4-2-8, Clubine 0/1-0-1-3, Macha 0-1-3-1, Kauth 4-2-0-10, Powelson 5-1-1-11, Grover 0-0-2-0. TOTALS: 16/4-12-15-56.
Wellsville (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Breithaupt 1-0-3-2, Silsby 6/2-1-3-19, Hillman 0-0-1-0, Kearney 3/2-1-0-13, Meyer 3-3-4-9, Klamm 0-1-0-1, Mann 5/2-2-3-18, Dalrymple 0-0-1-0. TOTALS: 18/6-8-15-62.
Second half sinks Mustangs
