Some hot shooting turned a hard-fought game into a runaway Tuesday for Iola Middle School’s eighth-graders.
The Mustangs were nursing a four-point lead over visiting Anderson County when Reggie Davis got free inside for back-to-back buckets to open the fourth quarter, extending Iola’s advantage to 24-16.
Teammate Reed Clift followed with 3-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor, and suddenly Iola’s lead was 14 in what became a 36-20 victory.
Clift led Iola with 11 points, followed by Mosiah Fawson with seven, Davis with six and Bently Zarhouni and Brycen Baker with four apiece.
Iola came up short in its other three contests. The eighth-grade B team dropped a 10-8 heartbreaker, with Anderson County scoring the tie-breaking bucket with under 2 minutes left. Iola was unable to get another shot to fall.
Kevon Loving scored four, while Brodon Westerman and Noah Anderson each had two points for IMS.
In seventh-grade A team play, Iola could not keep pace with Anderson County in a 39-12 setback. Iola trailed just 11-10 after one quarter, but notched a single field goal the rest of the way.
Henry Kramer led the Mustangs with eight points. Braylon Keithly was next with four.
The seventh-grade B team fell, 26-0.
