The Indianola basketball teams both improved to 2-0 in Little Hawkeye Conference play with wins at Oskaloosa on Friday night, heard live on 94.3 KNIA.

The Indianola girls relied on a strong defensive effort and a late surge of offense, scoring the final 11 points to beat the host Indians 39-23. Indianola’s Alexa Guyer, Lauren Olson and Julia McGraw each hit second-half 3-pointers and Madison Grover added a conventional three-point play to spark the team late. Indianola led 16-9 at halftime and increased the margin to 21-9 in the third quarter before Oskaloosa rallied within 28-23 in the fourth.  

Grover battled foul trouble but still paced Indianola with 14 points. Sophomore Eden Whitson scored nine points off the bench and provided a physical rebounding presence throughout the game. McGraw finished with six points and Olson added five. Oskaloosa was led by a combined 21 points from Porah and Dassah Cole.

The boys game was a competitive battle between experienced teams, featuring numerous ties and lead changes during the first two and a half quarters. Indianola led 24-21 at the half and protected a slight lead for most of the final two periods before prevailing 52-45. George Blake, Bryant Ritchie and Easton McGraw combined to make all 10 of Indianola’s free throws in the second half, with Blake, Ritchie, Jakob Graham and Jackson Foust all making a three-point basket.

Blake led Indianola with 17 points and Ritchie added 15, followed by McGraw with nine points and Thomas DeWall four. Tommy North led Oskaloosa with 13 points, but was held without a field goal until the second half.

The Indianola girls are now 4-1 overall and the boys team is 3-0 heading into the final week before Christmas break. The Indians will host Des Moines Lincoln for a girl-boy doubleheader on Thursday, December 18.