The Iola Mustangs struggled to keep up with Labette County High’s Grizzlies, falling 40-28 in Tuesday night action.
The Mustangs were successful on their end of the court, but getting past Labette’s full-court press was what kept Iola off the scoreboard throughout the non-league contest.
“They are a very aggressive team. We knew that going in,” Iola coach Emily Sigg said. “One of our goals was to outwork them, and I think we did that in the first half. We really could have folded, but we matched it and raised the intensity level.”
Sigg credited the loss to lack of depth. With three players never stepping off the court Tuesday, and a pair of underclassmen reserves, Iola eventually wilted under the constant pressure. Sigg liked the play of freshman guard Cashin Curry, but breaking an elite level press is a difficult task at any age.
“That’s a lot to ask. She has not had a lot of time at that level, none of them do,” Sigg said. “It was a good learning opportunity because it wasn’t a league game. They’re not in our sub-state. We don’t get that same intensity in our league.”
The Mustangs held their own early, trailing by two points at the end of the first quarter thanks to buckets by junior guard Brooklyn Holloway and junior forward Zoie Hesse, and a 6-point offering from freshman guard Haidyn Desmarteau off a drive and two flawless trips to the free-throw line.
Once the Grizzlies implemented their press, Iola struggled. Labette held Hesse to a pair of field goals with the remaining 4 points of her team-leading 10-point effort coming from the free-throw line. Holloway scored a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers as part of her 9-point production. Desmarteau had 8 points for the night.
The Mustangs host 15th ranked Caney Valley Thursday. While upsetting the Lady Bullpups would be great, Sigg said her focus is on Friday’s Pioneer League showdown against the Wellsville Eagles.
“We talk about sending shockwaves through the league. This could be it for us,” Sigg said. “Right now, we’re fourth in the league and a win there could push us up.”
