The Indianola boys mounted a huge second half comeback Friday evening against Linn-Mar in the substate semifinal round, but couldn’t hold on to a double-digit fourth quarter lead as they fell to the Lions 65-64 as heard live on 94.3 KNIA.

The Indians were ice cold from the field in the first half as they couldn’t keep up with the red-hot Lions, trailing 22-11 after the first and 28-42 at the halftime break. The defensive intensity picked up in the third quarter however, as they outscored the Lions 20-5 that included a go-ahead three by Bennett Brueck to take a 48-47 lead going into the final 8 minutes. The run of good play continued as the Indians built a 10-point lead with just over five minutes to go at 61-51, but the Indians scored just three more points the rest of the way as the Lions ended the game on a 14-3 run to win it that included hitting a pair of free throws to take the lead with just 10 seconds to go, and Indianola missing a shot at the buzzer.

Head coach Jeff Ebling said despite the loss, this senior class showed everyone in the community what Indianola basketball stands for.

“The hard work and commitment these guys put in, in not just one sport but multiple sports. Just how they conduct themselves. They are all high-character kids who have great and supportive families. It’s a bar that every coach dreams of having, and now it’s our job to keep that going in the lower levels that are coming up. We are going to work hard and compete at a high level. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and tonight we came on the short end. But these guys leave a legacy in this building that will hopefully be a trend and make it positive for years to come.”

Drew Kingery scored 33 points to lead the way. The Indians season comes to a close, and they graduate a senior class of 12.