Fillies win defensive struggle to advance

GARNETT — For all the clouds the first half offered Iola High’s Fillies Thursday — they had only one point by the midpoint of the second period — there remained a distinct silver lining.
Even though clean shots from the inside weren’t dropping, passes were being picked off left and right by Buffalo defenders and free throws were hard to come by, not all was lost.
So what went right?
The Fillies were stingy on defense all night, and especially down the stretch with key stops in the Buffalos’ final two possessions to preserve a 31-28 win.
The victory in Iola’s Class 4A-II substate semifinal puts the Fillies in tonight’s championship game.
There remains a formidable foe in the way of Iola (13-8) packing its bags for the state tournament next week in Park City — top seed, top-ranked and defending state champion (albeit in Class 3A) Burlington.
Another defensive effort like Thursday’s is essential.
The Fillies never led by more than four, and were on top just 29-28 when a bad pass gave Prairie View possession with just over a minute left in the game.
But the Fillies stood tall.
Iola’s Emery Driskel forced Prairie View’s Kallie Konitzer to miss from inside with 20 seconds remaining, while Addie Haar stopped Brittney Diehm’s follow-up attempt. Diehm fouled Haar as the players grappled for the rebound.
Haar hit both free throws, giving the Fillies a 31-28 lead with 16 seconds left.
The Buffalos called a play for Diehm, but her off-balance 3-pointer with 3 seconds left was well wide of the mark.
That she was defended on the play by Iola junior Emma Piazza was no surprise. Piazza drew the assignment of guarding Diehm most of the game.
“I can’t say enough about the job Emma Piazza did on defense,” Iola head coach Becky Carlson said. “She was great.”

THE KEY TO victory, Carlson said, was that Iola’s offensive struggles didn’t spill over to the team’s defense.
“We got some good looks the first four minutes, but the shots weren’t dropping,” Carlson said. “That’s when we got nervous.”
But while Iola was effective at stopping Diehm — who torched Iola for 20 points in a Prairie View win less than three weeks earlier — the Fillies didn’t have as many answers for Konitzer.
Konitzer scored eight of Prairie View’s first nine points. Her bucket with 6:12 left in the half put the Buffalos on top, 9-1.
Jo Lohman connected inside with 4:44 left in the half for Iola’s first basket. Haar followed with a field goal, and Piazza’s free throw cut the deficit to 9-7.
After Prairie View extended its lead to 13-7 on a Kammie Davis 3-pointer early in the third, Haar and Driskel picked up the baton for Iola.
Haar scored off a Hannah Endicott assist before Driskel’s 3-point play cut Prairie View’s lead to 13-12. Sydney Wade’s 3-pointer with 3:04 remaining in the third gave Iola its first lead of the half, 15-14.
The teams were tied three times after that, the final time at 23-23 when Kyra Moore hit a long-range jumper with 5:45 left.
Driskel scored inside with 5:13 left to give Iola a 25-24 lead and extended the lead to 27-24 with two free throws with 4:40 left.
Davis responded with a driving lay-up to cut the margin to 27-26. Driskel fed Haar for a lay-up and a 29-26 lead with 2:50 remaining. Diehm responded by finding Bayleigh Boone inside for an easy bucket with 1:50 left to set up the dramatic final stages.
Haar led the way with nine points and five rebounds. Driskel followed with seven points and four boards. Mikaela Platt and Piazza both had two assists. Piazza also had two steals.
Konitzer paced Prairie View with 12, while Davis had eight points — all after half-time.
Diehm had just four points on 1 of 9 shooting. The Fillies limited Prairie View to 26 percent shooting for the game, and forced 18 Buffalo turnovers.
The Buffalos were 5 of 14 from the line. Iola hit 8 of 14.

BURLINGTON HAD little trouble dispatching Anderson County, 50-18, in its semifinal. The Wildcats bring a 20-1 record into tonight’s showdown and defeated the Fillies, 49-22, in mid-January.
“The key is just getting the girls to forget we’re up against Burlington,” Carlson said, “and just play basketball.”
Prairie View (5-5-11-7—28)
Iola (1-6-14-10—31)
Prairie View (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Brown 0-0-2-0, Hazalet 0-0-1-0, Halaquist 0-0-2-0, Diehm 1-2-3-4, Boone 1-0-3-2, Waterman 0-0-4-0, Davis 2/1-1-2-8, Konitzer 6-0-1-12. TOTALS: 10/1-5-19-28.
Iola (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Wade 0/1-0-2-3, Moore 1-0-1-2, Piazza 1-1-2-3, Lohman 1-1-1-3, Endicott 0-0-2-0, Haar 3-3-4-9, Platt 0-0-2-0, Driskel 2-3-1-7, Macha 2-0-2-4. TOTALS: 10/1-8-17-31.