BURLINGTON Not much went right for Iola Highs Mustangs offensively as the clock wound down Friday evening.
Iola missed five straight free throws in the games final 78 seconds, had a pair of turnovers earlier in the period, and struggled like the dickens to find open shots.
But with Iolas defense intensity cranked up to 11, Burlingtons troubles were just a little more costly. The Mustangs held their hosts scoreless over the games final two minutes.
Iolas Derek Bycroft got free inside with 35 seconds left to score the decisive bucket in the Mustangs 52-51 victory.
We werent beautiful at times, Mustang head coach Luke Bycroft said. We didnt always do everything right. But thats OK, because we played hard, with heart and toughness. This is the team we can be.
It took a series of defensive stands to send the Mustang faithful home happy.
Burlington standout Chase Watkins, who burned the Mustangs from deep earlier in the period, drove inside to hit a pair of free throws with 2:09 left to give the Wildcats a 51-50 lead. A Mustang turnover on Iolas next possession gave the ball back to Burlington. The Wildcats moved the ball around the perimeter, but Iolas defense led to a contested 3-pointer that missed.
Derek Bycroft missed a pair of free throws on Iolas next possession, but Burlingtons Trevr Bahr missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Mustangs possession.
Bycrofts short bucket amid a trio of Burlington players pushed Iola on top, 52-51.
Watkins, who had scored 29 up to that point, came up empty on a spin move inside, and Iolas Calvin Delich snared the rebound. But he, too, missed on his one-and-one, giving the Wildcats a final possession.
Coach Bycroft figured the Wildcats would go back to Watkins, but remained cognizant that Burlington had a bevy of other skilled shooters, so we couldnt just focus on him.
Good decision.
The Wildcats Brennen Norstedt drove the lane and put up a shot, leading to a frantic scrum beneath the basket. Again, Delich outmuscled the Wildcats for the rebound with 2.2 seconds left.
Burlingtons faint hopes at a miracle were poked away, when Iolas Kane Rogers batted Delichs missed free throw along the sideline before it could be grabbed by a Wildcat as time expired.
The grind-it-out ending was a far cry from Iolas blistering start. The Mustangs connected four times from 3-point range in the first quarter, including two by Cal Leonard to jump out to a 14-8 lead. Burlington responded with five straight points before Blake Ashmores layup at the buzzer gave Iola a 16-13 lead.
Delich took his turn with the hot hand early in the second period, scoring twice inside and a third time from 3-point range as Iola took its largest lead of the game, 25-15. Noah Ashmores driving basket late in the half put Iola back up by nine.
Burlington responded with some high-level defense of its own.
