Chanutes pressure proved to be too great for the Fillies in their return home after tournament week last week.
The Blue Comets pressed Iola right into a loss, beating them 52-38 Friday after a close first half spiraled out of control in the third quarter.
The loss moves the Fillies to 5-7 overall this season.
We never gave up and we worked hard but we just had trouble with their press, head coach Becky Carlson said. We didnt move well enough and we kept throwing backward instead of forward. Theyre pretty quick and they have a nice press, Im not going to take that away from them, but it still feels like we shouldve been able to do more.
Iola headed out of the half trailing by just six but an 8-3 run coming out of the half turned into a 12-3 run thanks to the Blue Comets’ incessant full court press that at times even denied the Fillies entry pass from the baseline.
With 5:30 to play in the fourth quarter, a three from junior Kelsey Morrison cut the Chanute lead to nine but the Lady Comets countered with a quick 5-0 run to push them back to double-digits. Iola was unable to get closer than 10 the rest of the game.
Ellie Carson led the Fillies in scoring. She made her bones down low, slashing toward the basket and scoring 16 points. Carson was the only Iola player in double-digits.
The loss is the third in a row for the Fillies.
We need a win, Carlson said. It doesnt matter how almost you beat someone. We just need a win. We almost beat Bluestem and then we almost beat Girard and then tonight. And you start to doubt your shot and everything. Weve got to get one to get our confidence back.
The Fillies JV also struggled, falling 37-19 to Chanute. Sophomore Kailey Schinstock had four points to lead all Iola scorers followed by three for junior Rachel Bycroft.
The freshman Fillies, however, got a strong 32-20 win.
Josie Plumlee had 14 followed by eight for Maci Miller and seven for Jenna Curry and three for Chloe Sell.
The Iola girls will head back on the road Tuesday for a match-up with a Santa Fe Trail team thats had some struggles so far this season.
Iola (7-6-8-1839) (2pt/3pt-FT-F-TP) Carson 7/0-2-0-16, Holloway 3/0-0-3-9, Moore 2/0-1-3-5, Morrison 0/1-0-1-3, Castellanos-Rodrigo 1/0-0-4-2, Sutterby 1/0-0-1-2, Shelby 0/0-2-1-2, Kunkler 0/0-0-2-0. TOTALS 14/1-5-16-39.
Chanute (12-7-15-1652) (2pt/3pt-FT-F-TP) Alschner 7/0-1-3-15, Rollins 3/1-2-2-11, Thompson 2/1-1-8, Bogle 2/0-3-7, Babcock 1/0-3-2-5, Angleton 1/0-0-1-2, Jackett 0/0-2-3-2, Schoenhofer 1/0-0-0-2. TOTALS: 17/2-12-15-52.
