CHANUTE — A torrid shooting performance from Chanute High’s Jordan Duncan turned the tables on Iola’s Mustangs Friday.
Duncan drained four 3-pointers as the Blue Comets erupted for 27 fourth-quarter points, erasing an eight-point Iola lead in the process.
The Mustangs, who had been so effective at responding to every Chanute challenge up until then, went cold from the field down the stretch, dropping a 64-58 setback.
Iola’s Cortland Carson and Landon Weide led the Mustangs with 21 and 20 points, respectively.
It was Weide’s layup, fresh off a Matt Beckmon steal at midcourt, that pushed Iola ahead, 43-35, with just seconds left in the third quarter.
Duncan’s 3-pointer with 5 ½ minutes left in the game gave Chanute the lead for good, 48-45.
Iola’s Grady Dougherty scored on a putback about a minute later, Iola’s first field goal in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to two.
But Chanute responded with 3-pointers on its next three trips down the floor — two by Duncan — to push the lead to 58-51.
He wound up with 23 points.
ON THE GIRLS side, turnovers spoiled any chance for a Mustang victory. Iola committed 19 turnovers in the first half alone, including four straight during a crucial stretch late in the second quarter, as the Blue Comets pulled away to win, 50-34.
A cold start put Iola in arrears, 18-6, early in the second quarter before the Mustangs found their groove.
A steady diet of Iola’s Reese Curry and Keira Fawson inside sparked an 8-1 Iola run, paring a 24-12 deficit to 25-20 with 2 minutes left in the half.
But Chanute took full advantage of Iola’s turnovers to end the first half on a 7-0 run and open the second half with another 9-2 spurt to lead, 41-22.
Fawson, in her first game back after suffering a concussion and aggravating her nose injury from earlier this season, and Curry both scored 11 for the Mustangs.
Kelsey Haviland scored 20 to lead the Blue Comets. Kierny Follmer added 13.
