The Iola Mustangs’ bid for the 2026 War on 54 Basketball Tournament title came up a bit short Friday, falling to Pioneer League rival Anderson County 64-62.
A 28-point performance by the Bulldogs’ Brayden Wheat helped thwart the Mustangs’ efforts to overcome a slow start.
Even so, the close contest has the Mustangs itching for a return to the court, said Iola coach Luke Bycroft. The Mustangs host Independence Tuesday night.
“We did enough to get back in the game, but we didn’t do enough to finish the game,” Bycroft said. “We played great defense for a long stretch. That’s what dug us out of the hole. That’s what kept us battling, but when it mattered, we gave up offensive rebounds and buckets at the rim.”
While Wheat lit up the scoreboard for Anderson County, Iola junior forward Keegan Hill continued being a force for the Mustangs in the paint. Hill had a team-leading 19 points with most of his production coming in the second half.
Senior guard Nick Bauer finished with a 13-point double-double with a team-leading seven boards and 11 assists.
Sophomore forwards Mosiah Fawson and Reed Clift had 10 points each. Fawson finished second in rebounds with five, followed by Hill with four.
“We just needed to keep doing what we did to get there, but we couldn’t quite make it happen,” Bycroft said Friday. “I want to get in a practice immediately, because the last thing you want to do is dwell on this all weekend and think about what you should have done differently and let the loss simmer.”
The Mustangs are at 8-7 overall. Regaining their momentum will not be easy, Bycroft acknowledged.
“The most important thing for us to keep our momentum going is to recover from this game. Not let it be detrimental to their mindset moving forward. We have quite a few guys with distracted mindsets, worrying about the wrong things. We need to focus on the right things. The things we can fix, not bad calls and shots that don’t go in.”
THE HUMBOLDT Cubs fell to Cherryvale 84-45. With the loss, the Cubs’ record stands at 2-11 overall.
The Cubs host Anderson County Tuesday, then face another non-conference foe in Osage City on the road Thursday. Tip-off for the Tuesday game will be 30 minutes after the conclusion of the 6 p.m. Lady Cubs’ contest.
Crest took fifth place after defeating 3A Eureka of the Tri-Valley League 43-41. With the win, they improved to 9-3 overall. They are in Lyndon for another non-conference game Tuesday, then stay on the road Thursday as they jump back into Three Rivers League play against Pleasanton. Tip-off for Thursday’s game will follow 20 minutes after the conclusion of the 6 p.m. Lady Lancers’ contest.
