It wasn’t the prettiest basketball game of the season, Iola High girls head coach Kelsey Johnson admitted Tuesday.
But with a few key plays down the stretch, Iola’s 41-36 win over Crest was pretty enough.
“We’ll take these any way we can,” Johnson laughed.
Iola’s victory in the opening round of the War on 54 Tournament puts the Mustangs in the semifinals against Humboldt. Tipoff is set for about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the IHS gymnasium.
Crest falls to the consolation bracket and will take on St. Paul at 6:30 Thursday at Iola Elementary School.
Tuesday’s matchup was a back-and-forth affair that saw Iola seemingly take control in the third quarter with a 12-2 run to lead, 30-23.
Crest had little intention of going away quietly, however, and clamped down on its defense with authority.
Aylee Beckmon opened the period with a steal and layup. Kinley Edgerton followed with a pair of free throws and a putback on Crest’s next possession, and suddenly, Iola’s lead was down to 30-29. Kaelin Nilges was next with a bucket to push the Lady Lancers ahead, 31-30 with 3:50 left in the game.
Iola’s Harper Desmarteau ended the Mustangs’ 4-minute scoring drought with a free throw. Alana Mader then drained a couple of charities with 2:35 remaining to push the Mustangs back on top, 33-31. Crest’s Kayla Hermreck went 1 of 2 from the free throw line to make it a one-point game before Iola’s Reese Curry hit the Mustangs’ first field goal of the quarter with 2:10 left to push Iola ahead 35-32.
Beckmon could not get her driving layup to drop, and Desmarteau hit 1 of 2 charities with 49 seconds left to make it 36-32.
Hermreck responded with a 3-point play, a crucial moment because it also sent Curry to the bench with her fifth foul, and suddenly Iola’s lead was back to a single point.
That led to perhaps the game’s pivotal moment.
As Crest pressured the inbound play, Desmarteau found teammate Alana Mader all alone down the right sideline.
Mader broke free of the cluster of Crest defenders and laid it in for a 38-35 advantage.
“That was huge, for her to have the confidence to make that shot,” Johnson said. “That’s a huge pressure layup. When you’re by yourself like that, it almost makes it harder.”
