WELLSVILLE — Iola High’s boys basketball team never saw the lead Friday night against Wellsville.
The Mustangs weren’t even able to come within two possessions of the Eagles after the first few minutes of play.
But there was no doubt that coach Jay Applegate’s squad was still very much in the game by the end of the first half due to timely defense and clutch free-throw shooting.
Overcoming Wellsville’s 31-22 advantage at the break would have been a challenge but certainly not a daunting task given the way Iola managed to stay in the contest.
However, any defense the Mustangs had in the first half gave way to the Eagles’ dominant offense in the second half, and Iola’s stellar night at the charity stripe still wasn’t enough for a comeback.
In the end, Iola lost, 67-40, which marks the sixth straight loss for the boys team. The Mustangs fall to 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the Pioneer League following the 27-point defeat.
The beginning of Iola’s demise began in the third quarter when Wellsville wound up outscoring the visiting Mustangs, 24-4.
Turnovers proved costly for Applegate’s squad out of the break. In all, Iola had 22 giveaways on the night, many of which led to fast break points for Wellsville.
Once the Eagles took their 55-26 lead into the fourth, there was little chance the Mustangs could come back. But despite the deficit, Iola continually fought hard.
In fact, Applegate saw his squad actually outscore Wellsville 14-12 in the final period of play.
The Mustangs finished the game 10-for-30 from the floor and 17 total free throws.
Leading the charge for Iola was sophomore Ethan Holloway, who scored a team-high 13 points.
No other player for Iola scored more than 5 points on the night.
Joey Zimmerman and Ben Cooper were the two Mustangs who finished with 5 points a piece.
Evan Sigg had 4 points. Chase Regehr, Brett Taylor and Isaac Vink each finished the game with 3 points.
And Isaiah Fawson and Braden Plumlee rounded out the scoring with 2 points each.
Iola returns to action next week in Burlington’s midseason tournament.
Win No. 2 still eludes Mustangs
