BALDWIN CITY — Iola High’s Fillies learned a painful lesson Wednesday.
“When you’re not ready to step on the court with a team like Baldwin, that’s what can happen,” said head coach Becky Carlson.
“That” was Baldwin’s blistering start.
The host Lady Bulldogs raced to leads of 11-2, 18-6 and 32-9 before halftime in Wednesday’s second round of the Bulldog-Wildcat Classic.
The Fillies showed some spark in the second half, but could get no closer than 25 in a 57-22 defeat.
The loss drops Iola (1-2 overall) to 0-2 in tournament play and puts the Fillies in Friday’s fifth-place game against Anderson County. Tip off is at 4:30 p.m. in the Baldwin High School gymnasium.
The Fillies scored the first bucket of the game on Emma Piazza’s jumper on their first possession before Baldwin rattled off 11 straight points by the 3:16 mark of the first quarter. Mikaela Platt’s basket ended Iola’s drought with a bucket at the 2:43 mark, and Toni Macha drained two free throws with 30 seconds left, but two free throws by Baldwin’s Madline Neufeld, followed by a steal and layup by Katie Jones put the Lady Bulldogs on top 18-6 after one.
The Lady Bulldogs clamped down in the second quarter with an aggressive pressure defense. Iola’s Hannah Endicott banked in a 3-pointer with 5:40 left in the half, the Fillies’ first and last points of the second quarter.
Baldwin rattled off 16 straight points before Emery Driskel hit two free throws and a field goal midway through the third quarter. By then, Baldwin led, 38-13.
“I thought Emery and Toni Macha had good games for us,” Carlson said. “Emery really started taking it to ’em in the second half.”
In fact, the Fillies scored as many field goals in the fourth quarter (four) as they had through the first three periods combined.
But it wasn’t nearly enough against Baldwin’s rugged interior defender, sporting four players 5-10 or taller.
“They really hurt us on the boards tonight,” Carlson said. “They’re big and physical.”
Driskel scored six to lead the Fillies, followed by Endicott with five and Piazza with four. Macha, Platt and Addie Haar each had two.
Corey Valentine’s 10 points paced Baldwin. Maddie Ogle followed with 10.
Iola (6-3-5-8—22)
Baldwin (18-14-11-14—57)
Iola (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Wade 0-0-1-0, Moore 0-0-1-0, Piazza 2-0-0-4, Shields 0-0-3-0, Endicott 1/1-0-4-5, Haar 1-0-2-2, Platt 1-0-2-2, Driskel 2-2-1-6, Macha 0-2-2-2. TOTALS: 7/1-5-15-22.
Baldwin (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Hall 3-0-1-6, Stewart 0-0-1-0, Simpson 0-0-2-0, Steinke 0/1-0-0-3, Ogle 4-2-0-10, Neufeld 3-3-1-9, Jones 4-0-1-8, Smith 0-0-2-0, Valentine 3-5-3-11, Fursman 0-0-1-0, Stein 3-1-3-7, Cope 0/1-0-1-3. TOTALS: 20/2-11-16-57.
Fillies cannot overcome slow start in loss to Baldwin
