COLUMBIA - The Iberia Rangers used an 21-4 run to start the third quarter to help pull them out of a big hole, and they went on to capture a 62-56 win against Fatima at the MFA Oil-Break Time Shootout.
The Rangers, with a bevy of tall players at their disposal, hit their first seven shots out of the locker room - six layups and one 3-pointer - and turned a 30-23 deficit into a 41-34 lead.
"We panicked a little bit," Fatima coach Ryan Robertson said after the contest at Mizzou Arena. "When you're that big and that good, like they are, they're going to make runs. What disappointed us was they went on a run and our shot selection when downhill."
Iberia went on to outscore Fatima 21-11 in the period, taking a 44-41 lead into the fourth, and never trailed again.
The Comets fell behind by seven points three times in the final quarter, but managed to come back to tie it with 1:32 left when James Rakestraw hit a pair of free throws.
But made 6-of-6 free throws down the stretch, while Fatima missed three shots and turned the ball over three times in the final minute of play.
Robertson said the Comets can take plenty of good things away from the loss.
"We've lost three in a row, but we are twice the team we were a month ago," he said. "You look at the teams we've lost to, and it's a California team that's undefeated, a Fulton team that's one of the best we've seen, and now Iberia, which is ranked in Class 2.
"I would almost rather play a team like this every night, so you can get a sense of how good you are."
The Rangers got a monster game from 6-foot-10 Dexter Frisbie, who racked up a game-high 29 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.
Fatima used some hot shooting to get the better of play in the first half. The Comets hit 6-of-12 shots in the first quarter to lead 13-6, then made 6-of-14 in the second to take that seven-point edge into the locker room. Included in the second quarter production was a scorching 5-of-9 effort from 3-point range.
Iberia, the fourth-ranked team in Class 2, made just 2-of-8 shots in the first quarter. But the Rangers, who boast three additional players 6-foot-4 or taller, rebounded to make 6-of-10 in the second to slowly start getting back into it.
"They're a delicate team to play against," Robertson said. "You've got to make shots to beat them, and we forced shots in the second half. When you're doing that against another team, you'll go inside and establish your post players. Well, that's not an option against those guys."
Fatima's biggest lead of the night came with 3:09 left in the second quarter when Jared Schulte nailed a 3 to make it 27-13.
Schulte racked up 17 points to lead Fatima (10-5), while Nolan Huot had 13 and Ross Dickneite added 10.
Riley Halley chipped in with 13 points for Iberia (13-2).