Friday’s home tilt was a fairly descriptive microcosm of how things have gone for Iola High’s boys lately.
The Mustangs battled tooth and nail with visiting Wellsville for most of three quarters.
Iola was keeping pace with the hot-shooting Eagles, but a key sequence midway through the fourth quarter of Wellsville’s 58-38 win seemed all too familiar for Iola coach Bill Peeper.
The Mustangs’ Tyler Powelson muscled in a shot and drew a foul, but was unable to hit a free throw that would have cut a 39-34 Eagle lead to two points.
The Eagles’ ensuing possession ended with a three-point play by Cole Silsby, pushing Wellsville up by six, 42-36.
“It seemed like we struggled trying to keep it at a one-possession game,” Peeper said. “Suddenly, that one-possession game, suddenly became a two-possession game, then three. And it just built up from there.”
It didn’t help Iola’s cause that Wellsville was nearly spotless from the free throw line, draining 24 of 26 charities.
“They’re a good team — a solid team all the way around,” Peeper said. “We’re a struggling team trying to find a way back to the positive side. They find ways to make it happen, while we’re still searching.”
Wellsville ended the game on a 16-2 run, keyed by junior standout Carter Mann, who scored six of his eight fourth-quarter points at the free throw line.
Mann also played a role in Wellsville’s hot start. He drained two 3-pointers in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the contest as Wellsville raced to an 8-2 lead.
But Iola’s Levi Ashmore had some tricks of his own. He hit two treys a minute apart as the Mustangs cut into the lead. Trent Latta’s steal and layup with 7:13 left in the half gave the Mustangs the lead for the first time as part of an 11-2 run.
Mason Coons scored with 6:18 left in the half to push the Iola on top 16-13. Iola’s lead was 17-15 when Mann put the Eagles on top for good with a 3-pointer at the 4:35 mark of the second quarter.
Wellsville’s lead bounced between one and five points for all of the third quarter and into the final period.
For every Iola score, Wellsville usually had a quick response.
“The guys played hard, no doubt about it,” Peeper said. “But we just can’t seem to take care of the little things, the details.”
Friday’s game was Senior Night, as the final home game of the year for the Mustangs. The starting lineup consisted solely of 12th-graders.
Regular starters Latta, Adam Kauth and Powelson were on the bench.
“I was pleased with our effort, and our seniors gave us good time out there,” Peeper said. “I couldn’t ask for any more out of them.”
Ashmore led Iola with 14 points and three steals. Coons followed with seven points, while Powelson had six points and 10 rebounds. Kaden Macha and Tyler McIntosh had three rebounds apiece. Latta had a steal and three assists. Latta and Ashmore each drew charges.
Wellsville also prevailed in the junior varsity matchup, 56-41. Jesse Zimmerman paced the Mustang JV with 12 points, followed by Fryendz Wallace with six, Kohl Endicott, Travis Hermstein and Shane Walden with five each, Adam Peterson with four and Alex Bauer and Macha with two each.
In C team action, Iola prevailed 47-35. Peterson scored 10 and Endicott eight.
Iola travels to Anderson County Tuesday.
Wellsvile (13-9-14-19—55)
Iola (10-11-11-6—38)
Wellsville (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Breithaupt 1-0-0-2, Silsby 1-6-3-8, Hillman 1-3-3-5, Kearney 1/1-4-1-9, Meyer 1-2-5-4, Mann 3/4-8-2-26, Dalrymple 0-1-2-1. TOTALS: 8/5-24-16-55.
Iola (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Latta 2-0-3-4, Ashmore 3/2-2-3-14, Coons 2/1-0-3-7, Morrison 0-0-1-0, McIntosh 0-0-1-0, Clubine 0-0-1-0, Macha 1-0-0-2, Kauth 1-3-1-5, Powelson 3-0-4-6, Grover 0-0-1-0. TOTALS: 13/3-5-19-38.
Eagles’ hot shooting too much for IHS
