RICHMOND — After opening the Ike Cearfoss Basketball Tournament with a loss, the Iola Mustangs returned to form with a few fireworks to beat host Central Heights 74-28.
Four Mustangs scored in double digits as the Mustangs poured on the points from the first whistle.
Junior guard Austin Crooks and sophomore forward Reed Clift were critical in giving the Mustangs a 41-14 advantage by halftime.
“We executed a lot better than the other night. We talked about having sharper cuts, crisper movement with the ball and without the ball as well,” Iola coach Luke Bycroft said. “We started to open the lane up, which opened up the backside jump shot. Those are things we talked about for a while, but we just got it going.”
While winning by a large margin is fun, Bycroft said other elements make him eager to get back on the court Friday for the fifth-place game against Kansas City Christian. 
Seven Mustangs made offensive contributions, including a few junior varsity players who came off the bench to hold Central Heights to 14 points in the second half.
“With the threes, I was just getting open looks. They were kicking it out to me and I was just there,” said Crooks, who wowed the crowd with a pair of dunks.
“It’s easy to make them when there’s nobody in your face. With the dunks, I was just getting up on a wide open fastbreak. It was the first one of the season.”
Crooks was Iola’s leading scorer with 26 points, followed by Clift and senior forward Keegan Hill with 13 points each. Sophomore Colton Thompson got in on the action with a trio of fourth-quarter 3-pointers.
“My teammates were hitting me in the right spots — right in the shooting pocket. It just felt good coming off my hand tonight,” Thompson said.
Check the Iola Register’s website at iolaregister.com for the results of Friday night’s games.
