If Mustang senior Joey Zimmerman’s birthday wasn’t already going well enough, he got a big boost with 2:40 left to go in Tuesday night’s home game against Osawatomie.
With the Trojans charging and the one-time 14-point Iola lead down to just five points, Zimmerman got an open look at a three pointer from the right corner and fired up a shot. The ball spun around the rim several times before falling in.
The Mustangs used Zimmerman’s shot to spark a 9-0 run to end the game and take a 63-49 victory and sweep Osawatomie — a feat which was definitely on Zimmerman’s birthday wish list.
“It was really a great win,” Zimmerman said. “We aren’t particularly fond of Osawatomie either so that kind of added to it.”
In addition to Zimmerman’s big day — he finished with 13 points — senior Isaiah Fawson was on point in his return to the Mustangs.
After missing last Friday’s loss at Anderson County, Fawson was back on Friday — in a bench role for the first time this season.
Although the bench duty was a different feeling for the sharp-shooting guard, he embraced it and scored a game-high 19 points.
“It was a little frustrating to sit on the bench to start off with, because I’m not used to it,” Fawson said. “Once I got in though, I felt good and everyone else was feeling good too. We pounded it inside and got them in foul trouble early.”
Zimmerman and the other Mustangs were happy to have their full complement of weapons back with Fawson providing outside shooting.
“He is huge for us on offense and he plays really good defense too,” Zimmerman said of Fawson. “When he is on, he just does not miss and we can count on him every time he shoots the ball.”
Fawson hit a trio of three pointers.
Fawson and Iola’s outside shooting complemented a strong interior attack for the Mustangs.
Junior Evan Sigg got the paint established early with six points in the first quarter and his seventh and eighth points came on the first possession of the second quarter.
“Evan put in work down there,” Fawson said. “He drew fouls and they got frustrated and we got lots of free throws.”
Junior posts Ethan Holloway and Zach Cokely added eight and six points respectively.
“We want to establish the inside early every game whether it be with Ethan, Evan, Zach or penetration, but we don’t always have the patience to do that,” Iola coach Jay Applegate said. “Tonight, we showed more patience. It is hard to get them to believe sometimes that being patient and getting the shot we want ends up with more points than otherwise, but it worked out tonight.”
While the Mustangs were making a living on the inside early, the Trojans seemed intimidated by Holloway and Sigg as the avoided the interior of the Iola defense for a majority of the game and instead tried to out-shoot the Mustangs.
Three pointers kept the Trojans in the game most of the way until a 12-3 spurt late in the third quarter — 10 of those points from Fawson — gave Iola a commanding 46-32 lead.
Again, the three-ball tightened the game late — Osawatomie hit nine total trifectas — but Zimmerman and the late Mustang run sealed it.
“It is a really big confidence boaster to know that we can close like that when we want to,” Zimmerman said.
BOX SCORE
Iola 63,
Osawatomie 49
Iola 14 13 21 15 – 63
Oz 8 12 14 15 – 49
Iola
(2pt/3pt-FTM-FTA-Points) Joey Zimmerman 1/1-8-8-13; Ben Cooper 0/0-1-2-1; Isaiah Fawson 3/3-4-4-19; Chase Regehr 0/0-2-2-2; Ethan Holloway 3/0-2-6-8; Zach Cokely 3/0-0-2-6; Evan Sigg 5/0-4-8-14. TOTALS: 15/4-21-32-63. FOULED OUT: None.
Osawatomie
(2pt/3pt-FTM-FTA-Points) Justin Shadden 1/2-1-2-9; Robby Joeckel 5/0-1-1-11; Skyler Bauman 0/3-0-0-9; Boyd Cole 0/2-0-0-6; Noah Cole 3/0-0-1-6; Brilynn Stults 0-2-0-0-6; Colton Bradley 1/0-0-2-2. TOTALS: 10/9-2-6-49. FOULED OUT: None.
JUNIOR VARSITY
The Mustangs’ junior varsity picked up a 49-32 win over Osawatomie.
Kane Rogers and Isaac Vink shared the team lead in scoring with nine each.
Hunter Preston added six points while Bryce Andres, Zach Cokely, Derek Bycroft, Matt Miller and Trey Bruner each had four.
Sophomores Cole Regehr had three points and Blake Ashmore rounded out the scoring with two.
FRESHMEN
The Iola freshman team thumped Osawatomie 49-22.
Freshman coach Luke Bycroft was able to rotate his bench liberally throughout the game and as a result, seven different Mustangs were able to score.
Calvin Delich led the balanced attack with 13 points.
Cal Leonard added 12 and Brady Wiggin was also in double figures with 11.
Casen Barker had seven and Elijah Fawson had three while Blake Haar and Noah Ashmore each added two.
UP NEXT
The Mustangs have a tall task with two-straight games against league leaders Wellsville.
They host the Eagles on Thursday in a makeup game and then travel north on Tuesday to visit their Pioneer League rivals.
