Strong defensive play and the debut of a few new options on offense lifted the Iola Mustangs to a 65-56 victory over the Caney Valley Bullpups Thursday.
The Mustangs avenged their 2025 postseason loss to the Bullpups after a strong first half by sophomore forward Mosiah Fawson and junior forward Keegan Hill, who combined for 19 points as Iola took a 31-20 lead into halftime.
“It makes it easier on me, trusting in my teammates and knowing they can knock down shots,” said senior guard Nick Bauer, who had a team-leading seven assists. “I was finding them on their cuts and pick-and-rolls. Everything was there tonight.”
Senior guard Brennen Coffield was first to light up the scoreboard with a 3-pointer, followed by a bucket for five of his 11 total points. Junior guard Austin Crooks found his footing with a pair of second-quarter buckets but fouls and double-teams limited his contribution. Even so, Bauer said others rose to the occasion.
“We played as a team, and we haven’t played as a team lately,” Bauer said. “We shot the ball better than we have lately. We didn’t hit every shot, but we hit more than we have been and we kept fighting for rebounds.”
Fawson remained a force, especially after the Bullpups clawed their way back into contention in the third quarter. Fawson gave Iola some breathing room with a trio of close-range buckets and a pair of free-throws in the fourth quarter, finishing the night with a team-leading 21 points.
Even Fawson wondered about his good fortune.
“I was just playing good basketball,” Fawson said. “Maybe it’s just confidence. We’re playing as a team, staying positive and keeping the morale high.”
Hill was second in scoring with 15 points. Sophomore forward Reed Clift scored 7 points and Crooks had 6. Hill, Crooks, and Bauer had two steals each. Clift had a team-leading six rebounds, followed by Bauer with five. Fawson and Hill had four each.
With the win, the Mustangs improved to 5-6 and in the process snapped a three-game losing streak.
“It wasn’t perfect, and we still have some things to clean up, but I’m proud of how hard they played and how they responded in the third quarter, when we gave up the lead,” Iola coach Luke Bycroft said.
The Mustangs looked to even their overall record to 6-6 and 3-3 in the Pioneer League with a victory over Wellsville Friday. Scores were not available at press time.
They host Crest Tuesday in the opening round of the War of 54 Basketball Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
