Victory: Fillies down Wellsville

Even with all the breaks going their way, Iola High’s Fillies weren’t going to relax a smidgen until the final buzzer sounded Friday.
Far too many times this season, Iola was able to mount impressive comebacks, and on a few occasions take the lead, only to have the rug swiped away beneath them.
“We’d panic,” Fillies coach Becky Carlson said.
Not this time.
In fact, “once we got the lead, we grew more confident,” Carlson said.
Iola capped a stirring come-from-behind 35-27 Senior Night victory by clamping down on defense, allowing only eight points after halftime, and a paltry two in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Emery Driskel’s basket with 5:52 remaining broke a 25-25 deadlock, part of the Fillies’ 16-2 run to close the game.
Wellsville’s Mariah Kayhill scored with about 3 minutes left in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 25-19 lead, before Iola closed the period with two Jo Lohman free throws and an Addie Haar bucket.
Haar then scored again a minute into the fourth period to tie the score before Driskel’s tie-breaker about a minute later.
Iola took advantage of Wellsville’s misses and turnovers. Driskel’s basket with 4:27 left gave Iola a two-possession lead. Wellsville lost the ball out of bounds on its next possession, and Hannah Endicott responded with a baseline runner to push the Fillies up 31-25.
Emily Newland provided Wellsville’s only points of the quarter with two free throws with just over a minute left, but Kyra Moore responded with two charities of her own to re-establish a six-point lead.
Driskel snuffed the Eagles’ next possession with a steal, then Moore rebounded an Eagle miss to end the next possession. Moore then hit two free throws in the game’s final 33 seconds for the final margin.
Iola led 5-2 after one quarter and 11-8 in the second before Wellsville responded with a 10-2 run, fueled mainly by Fillies turnovers.
Erica McTaggart hit the second of two free throws to give the Eagles an 18-11 lead. Emily Ware responded with a jumper, then Emma Piazza hit two free throws to slice the lead to three. Wellsville took a 19-15 lead into halftime.
Iola’s game-clinching run was keyed by ball control, Carlson said.
“Once we get the ball down the floor and don’t throw the ball away, we’re pretty good,” Carlson said. “We’re able to get some good shots.”
The game was especially gratifying, Carlson said, because it came in Iola’s final home game of the season. Ware, Reagan Ford, the injured Libby Shay and student manager Alyssa Zimmerman were honored during Senior Night activities.
A raucous student section and energetic pep band added even more flavor.
Driskel led the way with 10 points for Iola, followed by Endicott with five and Moore, Piazza, and Haar with four each.
Erica McTaggart led Wellsville with 15 points, but left the game late because of a leg injury. She was the only Eagle player in double figures.
Wellsville prevailed 36-29 in the junior varsity contest. Olivia Bannister scored eight points to pace the Fillies JV, followed by McKayli Cleaver with six, Shelby Reno with five, Cassie Delich and Taylor Sell with four apiece and Haar with two.
Iola travels to Anderson County Tuesday.
Wellsville (2-17-6-2—27)
Iola (5-10-8-12)
Wellsville (FG-FT-F-TP): Cunningham 0-0-1-0, Newhouse 0-3-3-3, Bonzo 1-0-5-2, Kayhill 2-1-3-5, McTaggert 5-5-1-15, Geist 0-0-5-0, Sparks 1-0-2-2, Strawn 0-0-1-0. TOTALS: 9-9-21-27.
Iola (FG-FT-F-TP): Long 1-0-0-2, Moore 0-4-3-4, Piazza 1-2-1-4, Endicott 2-1-3-5, Haar 2-0-4-4, Driksel 5-0-4-10. TOTALS: 13-9-15-35.