Tigers snare win over Fillies

FORT SCOTT — Rebounding and free-throw shooting proved to be the undoing for Iola High’s Fillies Tuesday.
Against Fort Scott High’s Tigers, the Fillies were in a close game. The Tigers were just a little better on the boards and at the line for a 42-34 victory at home.
“We played much more aggressively at both ends of the floor tonight and really good defensively,” said Becky Carlson, Fillies’ head coach.
“One of the big factors is we didn’t hit our free throws and they did hit theirs.”
The Fillies were 5 of 10 from the free-throw line on the night. The Tigers cashed in on 11 of 21 attempts.
Fort Scott hit 6 of 11 in the fourth quarter to keep Iola from rallying. The Tigers took a 32-24 lead into that final period.
Iola’s Kayla Callahan opened the fourth with a basket, then Kelsey Larson turned one of her five steals into a layup. It was 32-28 with 6:43 left to play.
Fort Scott’s Brianne Lawrence had a putback. The Fillies had a chance at a stickback of their own but missed.
Kendra Taiclet sank the first of two free throws then got her own rebound but missed on a follow shot. Mallory Shelton pulled the rebound for the Tigers and was fouled.
Shelton downed both ends of a one-and-one to push Fort Scott’s lead to 36-29.
Down by seven, Iola’s Larson swiped the ball again and scored with 1:47 left. Larson knocked the ball away again but it rolled out of bounds.
Larson hit one of two free throws to make it 38-34 at the 43.8-second mark. Fort Scott broke past the Iola press and Shelton got a quick basket and downed a free throw.
“We need to take care of the basketball better. In the second quarter we turned it over and they took advantage of it,” Carlson said.
Iola wiped out a 5-0 deficit with a putback by Larson and a three-point play by Larson. A basket by Taiclet put Iola in front 7-5 at the 2:29 mark.
The teams traded baskets then Carly Mulsow connected on a jump shot and Larson netted a three-point shot at the end of the first quarter. Iola was up 14-9.
The Fillies did not score again until Callahan had a basket with 24 seconds left in the second quarter. Fort Scott had put in nine points in the period and led 18-16 at halftime.
Fort Scott stretched its lead to 27-19 midway through the third quarter. Mulsow scored at the 3:32 mark and Callahan’s free throw made it 27-22. Iola got no closer.
Larson paced the Fillies with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and five steals. Callahan had 11 points. Kirstin McGuffin grabbed five rebounds and had three assists.
Lawrence was the only Tiger in double figure scoring with 10. Morgan Tourtillott added nine.
Iola (6-6) begins Southeast Kansas League play Friday at Coffeyville.
Fort Scott won the junior varsity game 53-15. Libby Shay scored five points for Iola.
There was no freshman girls’ game and will not be a freshman girls’ game at Coffeyville Friday.
Iola (14-2-8-10—34) (FG/3-pt): Larson 4/1-3-4-14, Taiclet 1-1-3-3, Taylor 0-0-1-0, Adams 0-0-1-0, Callahan 5-1-4-11, Mulsow 3-0-2-6, McGuffin 0-0-5-0. TOTALS: 13/1-5-20-34.
Fort Scott (9-9-14-10—42) (FG/3-pt): H. Tourtillott 0-0-2-0, Harper 0-0-2-0, M. Allen 0-2-3-2, M. Tourtillott 4-1-2-9, Rienbolt 1-2-0-4, Shelton 1-3-3-5, K. Allen 1-0-2-2, Maycumber 1-1-1-3, Campbell 2/1-0-1-7, Lawrence 4-2-1-10. TOTALS: 14/1-11-17-42.