SWEET MUSIC: Fillies explode early, cruise past Chargers

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Sports

February 24, 2017 - 12:00 AM

Mustang senior guard Isaiah Fawson got the “Parents’ Night” festivities started with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem on his violin and it felt like that energy and rhythm transferred right from his instrument into the Fillies in Thursday’s first quarter against Santa Fe Trail.
The Fillies raced out to 17-1 advantage against the over-matched Chargers and eventually won 51-37.
Senior guard Sydney Wade was the catalyst for the early success with seven first quarter points and was huge defensively as the Fillies used the press against their opponents.
Wade wasn’t the only senior hitting on all cylinders in the first quarter. Della Lohman and Toni Macha each had four points to help build the advantage. Senior Riley Murry was also huge in the opening quarter with a pair of blocks and steals to go with several rebounds.
“We were seeing each other on the court and making our shots,” Macha said.
After back-to-back baskets by Wade in the second quarter, the Iola lead was 27-6 and the Fillies were able to maintain the lead big margin at halftime with a 27-10 margin.
“We were running our offense well and we just came out wanting to win,” Murry said.
The Fillies were challenged in the third quarter, however, when a 7-0 Eagle run cut the margin to 12 points and during the run, Wade was charged with her fourth foul.
All of a sudden, the game was at the brink of single digits and the Fillies were without their leader.
Macha rose to the occasion for her team, however. She answered Charger scores on back-to-back possessions and after baskets by Murry and sophomore Madisyn Holloway, the lead was back to 15 points.
“Toni was very helpful,” Murry said. “It really helped us relax because she was on fire and we were able to get her the ball and she did what she does.”
It was a 13-point margin when Wade reentered the game to begin the fourth quarter.
Coach Becky Carlson’s team promptly began to run its ball-control offense and on the first possession of the quarter they ran a minute and 11 seconds off the clock before Santa Fe Trail fouled junior Colbi Riley.
Riley went 1-of-2 from the line and after a defensive stop, Macha scored to put Iola in front 42-26.
The Chargers never challenged again as the two teams just exchanged baskets the rest of the way and Iola took the 51-37 victory.
Macha finished as the team’s leading scorer with 18 points. Wade added 11 while Riley netted eight.
Thursday was the final home game for Iola seniors Lohman, Murry, Wade and Macha.
“It is going to be sad,” Murry said while placing an emphasis on the word ‘sad’. “We played together since the fourth grade so we are really close.”
Carlson says the leadership of her four seniors will be missed, but she hopes the lessons they have passed down translate to the underclassmen.
“They are just great role models for our other girls,” Carlson said. “They are great teammates and work really hard.”

BOX SCORE
Iola 51,
Santa Fe Trail 37
Iola     17     10     12     12    –     78
SFT     1     9     16     11     – 37
Iola (12-8; 8-4 league)
(2pt/3pt-FTM-FTA-Points) Sydney Wade 4/1-0-0-11; Chloe Gardner 0/0-1-2-1; Riley Murry 2/0-0-1-4; Colbi Riley 3/0-2-4-8; Della Lohman 2/0-0-0-4; Madisyn Holloway 1/1-0-0-5; Toni Macha 9/0-0-2-18. TOTALS: 21/2-3-9-51. FOULED OUT: None.

Santa Fe Trail
(2pt/3pt-FTM-FTA-Points) Piper Johnson 3/3-3-4-18; Hannah Honeyman 1/0-2-2-4; Savannah Lankton 1/0-0-0-2; Grace Herren 1/0-4-5-6; Megan Mentzer 0-1-0-0-3; Alexis Massey 1/0-2-3-4. TOTALS: 7/4-11-14-37. FOULED OUT: None.

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