Iola High did just enough to pick up its third win of the season against Pioneer League rival Anderson County Friday.
The Mustangs responded after Anderson County whittled an 11-point deficit down to two with 3 1/2 minutes left in the game.
A pair of familiar faces — Iola’s Landon Weide and Cortland Carson — helped put the game away from there. The duo combined to hit 7 of 8 free throws as Iola ended the game on a 9-3 run to win, 49-41.
Weide led the way with 17 points, to go with (unofficially) nine rebounds and six assists. He also was responsible for guarding Anderson County standout Noah Porter. Porter wound up with 11 to lead the Bulldogs.
The Mustangs’ Mac Leonard gave the home town an early charge with his buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first quarter, from just inside the half court line.
Leonard started the second period the same way, with a deep trey, as part of a 9-0 Mustang run to open a 23-17 lead.
But both offenses went stagnant for the balance of the first half.
Anderson County sliced the lead to one early in the third quarter but Iola’s Grady Dougherty had a pair of critical putbacks late in the period as Iola opened a 36-29 lead. His steal led to Weide’s layup to push Iola ahead, 38-29, after three.
Weide’s assist to Leonard pushed Iola ahead 40-29 before the Bulldogs mounted their comeback, courtesy of a frenetic trapping defense.
Preston Kueser’s free throws with 3:31 left capped Anderson County’s 9-0 run, setting up Iola’s big finish.
Leonard added 11 points for the Mustangs.
After defeating Anderson County with a big rally in the season-opener, and then toppling the Bulldogs again in the War On 54 Midseason Tournament title game, there’s a chance the two squads may meet a fourth time in the postseason.
Iola and Anderson County are both in the same Class 3A Substate.
Iola is 10-7 and sits in fourth in the eight-team regional. Anderson County is 8-8, and tied with Heritage Christian Academy in fifth. (Results from Heritage Christian’s game Friday were not immediately available). The fourth and fifth seeds would play each other in the first round.
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