If you were to ask a Central Heights player on Monday after Iola’s dominating 63-28 win how to stop Ethan Holloway and Evan Sigg the answer is simple — you don’t.
The Vikings did their best to hold home court in the opening round of the Ike Cearfoss Tournament but the thundering Mustangs were too much to handle.
“I talked to them about us playing well — win or lose — and I felt like we did that today,” head coach Luke Bycroft said. “We played well as a team and that’s when we looked unstoppable because they didn’t have an answer for guys who can get the ball inside. We did a great job of getting the ball inside.”
Iola’s one-two punch was working about as good as you would’ve wanted. With Holloway struggling to score out of the gate, the Mustangs looked to Sigg for a spark and a spark he did provide.
He put up eight points in Iola’s 17-point first quarter and looked like a man amongst boys in both stature and play. Sigg ended the night with a double-double scoring 12 points to go along with 10 total rebounds and five assists.
“He took over inside,” Bycroft said. “And I think that inspired Ethan a little bit because when he came back in, he got down low, he fought through the arms and traffic and the fouls and found good shots, even when he didn’t make them. Evan taking over really settled Ethan in his role and then once they both got going we dominated inside, which is something we should do.”
It was nearly the same story with Holloway just a quarter later. After only scoring one free throw in the first quarter and struggling to do much else, Holloway hit his first bucket in the second quarter and did not look back.
He had 10 in the second quarter alone and led the Mustangs with 17 points and six rebounds.
“He’s definitely capable of getting just about anything he wants if he can get that tough mentality,” Bycroft said. “Because he’s going to get foul. They’re going to double and triple-team him. He’s going to have to be under control and composed and when he is, he’s unstoppable because he can score from any position, any hand. He just has to remain composed and he’ll be fine.”
Iola held a commanding 42-10 lead going into the half.
While the big men got theirs, Iola’s guards played their role well as facilitators. Sophomore Cal Leonard had 13 points thanks to a team-high three threes and senior Cale Barnhart filled up the stat sheet, scoring just three points but recording four assists and a team-high two blocks and four steals.
The guards also took care of the ball, causing just six of the Mustangs 14 turnovers.
“For the most part on the defensive end, the guards really challenged the ball well,” Bycroft said. “They handled the ball well and the one thing I wanted them to do, especially with our size advantage is getting the ball down the floor and getting it to the big guys immediately and they did a great job of that. Our point guards looked down the floor and made that pass ahead so we could have opportunities to attack.”
The Mustangs will get a good barometer of league play on Thursday when they face Osawatomie in the semi-finals.
“They’re a little bigger a little more physical from the team we saw tonight,” Bycroft said. “They’re really going to bang. They have a couple guys who are really going to be physical with our guys. Keeping our composure with both Evan and Ethan is going to be a big part of our success there. They’re going to be physical and aggressive attacking the basket.”
OFF TO A GOOD START: Iola boys bully their way to season-opening win
