IOWA — A switch to a defensive lineup paid dividends on both ends of the court for the Iowa Yellow Jackets, who surged past Elton in the second half to win the championship game Saturday at the Iowa/Mallett Builders Tournament 71-66.

Jhaylen Moss and Donovan Winey were sent in to slow down Elton guards Sherman Bellow and Jadon Ross, who combined to score all but one of Elton’s points in the first half as the Indians took a 29-22 lead into halftime.

Not only did the change slow the Elton attack, but Iowa (7-0) scored 31 points in the quarter to take the lead for good. A 3-pointer by Crajaun Bennett gave Iowa a 42-39 lead and capped a 14-2 run by the Yellow Jackets.

“We locked down on them better in the second half,” Iowa head coach Robert Melanson said. “Moss did a good job. We went to a defensive unit with he and Winey.

“Desamonte Gradney started attacking the basket and made some really nice moves. Elton is going to be tough. They are going to get it going with that new coach (Chris Cane). This was a good win for us. We hadn’t won our tournament in a long time.”

Multi-sport athletes Bennett and Curtis Deville combined to score 30 points for Iowa after playing in the Louisiana High School Coaches Association I-10 Bowl all star football game earlier in the day.

“Bennett made some big shots for us and Curtis was really active, despite being all beat-up,” Melanson said.

Gradney led Iowa with 17 points. Deville scored 16, Bennett added 14 and Landon Langley had 14.

Ross led Elton with 28 points. Bellow finished with 20. Each scored 14 in the first half. A basket by Bellow with 12 seconds left pulled the Indians within 69-66, but Langley drilled a pair of free throws with nine seconds left to preserve the win.

Elton scored the last seven points of the first quarter to take a 12-9 lead. Bellow gave Elton a 10-9 lead with a pair of free throws. Ross scored seven points in the first quarter.

Girls

Barbe .77

Welsh .25

The Bucs used a barrage of three-pointers to pull away from the Greyhounds early.

Barbe made five 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 24-6 lead and finished with 16 three-pointers, with seven different players making at least one. Areil Williams led the Bucs with 14 points. Mia and Megan Colston scored 12 each and Mikaylah Manley finished with 10.

Krislyn Cormier scored 12 points for Welsh.