Basketball Recap: Iola Comes Up Short

Iola was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They fell 54-44 to the Chanute Blue Comets. While losing is never fun, the Mustangs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 179th, while the Blue Comets are ranked 44th).

When it comes to explaining why Iola lost, don't look at Cortland Carson. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jordan Kaufman, who posted six points and five boards.

Iola's defeat dropped their record down to 5-11. As for Chanute, the victory (which was their 12th in a row) raised their record to 12-2.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Iola will head out to face off against Prairie View at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Iola is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.6 points per game this season. As for Chanute, they will head out on the road to take on Fort Scott at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing isn't great for Fort Scott: they have been struggling with four straight losses at home, while Chanute has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.