Iola Middle School’s eighth-grade girls had a better second half than first half of basketball at home Monday. The Ponies played even — 10-10 — with visiting Coffeyville’s Roosevelt Middle School.
Unfortunately, the Rough Riders posted a 20-8 first-half lead on their way to a 30-18 win.
“The effort is there. Now we need to cut out the two- and three-minute stretches where we go brain dead,” said Marty Taylor, IMS head basketball coach. “I thought Emmalee Seabolt and Torrie Lewis did a much better job inside for us.”
Jo Lohman fired in seven points and Kyra Moore had four points for Iola. Emma Piazza, Seabolt and Katie Shields each put in two points while Lewis had one point.
Seabolt and Piazza each had three rebounds. Lewis, Moore and Lohman had one rebound apiece.
Coffeyville rolled to a 16-4 lead by halftime of the seventh-grade A-team game. The Rough Riders outscored the Ponies 19-12 in the second half for a 35-16 win.
“Our effort is not where it needs to be right now and that’s my fault,” Taylor said. “We’ll get back to work and see if we can fix that.”
Mikeala Platt tossed in six points and grabbed six rebounds for the Ponies. Makayli Cleaver had four points and four rebounds, while Elise Wolf had two points and four rebounds.
Taylor Sell and Ashlie Shields scored two points each. Sell controlled two rebounds.
An Iola combined seventh-and-eighth-grade B-team claimed a 19-7 victory over Coffeyville. Lexie Long paced the Ponies with five points and Hannah Ingle added four.
Scoring two points each were Kim Kaufman, Chelsea Lea, Hannah Stout, Micaiah Larney and Ashley Cary.
Iola hosts Independence on Thursday.
Ponies falter at home
