MASON CITY — Marshalltown’s persistence finally paid off.

The Bobcat boys’ basketball team kept coming at Mason City and finally found a way around the Mohawks, taking the lead in the fourth quarter and keeping it for a 61-55 victory in Thursday’s CIML Iowa Conference clash.

Marshalltown (6-5, 2-4) trailed for most of the game thanks to a 6-0 surge for Mason City (3-9, 2-6) midway through the first quarter, but the Bobcats made their move in the fourth period and made it stick inside North Iowa Area Community College’s gymnasium.

A 3-pointer by Drake Kapayou and a layup for Prince Jallah gave Marshalltown a 57-51 lead with one minute remaining. Carter Thomas cut the deficit in half with a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, and the Bobcats went 4-for-8 from the free-throw line the rest of the way.

It turned out to be good enough, as Grant Greazel drew a charging call with 6.2 seconds left, keeping the score at its final margin.

“That’s just the effort he’s always giving,” MHS head coach Michael Appel said of Greazel. “He’s a gritty guy and he’s willing to take a charge. Anytime he does that it doesn’t surprise me.”

Jallah finished with a game-high 26 points to lead Marshalltown, while Armonniey Thomas tallied 19 and Kapayou added 13.

The win avenged the Bobcats’ first loss of the season, a 70-57 setback inside the Roundhouse.

Isaiah Washington led Mason City with 14 points, Michael Willis had 11, Thomas added nine and Corey Miner netted eight.

The Bobcats complete their four-game road swing with Saturday’s 4:45 p.m. game at Ankeny Centennial.

Marshalltown 61, Mason City 55

MARSHALLTOWN (6-5, 2-4) — Armonniey Thomas 7 5-8 19, Grant Greazel 0 1-4 1, Drake Kapayou 5 2-2 13, Prince Jallah 9 8-14 26, Dalen Huston 1 0-0 2, Ivan Alvarado 0 0-0 0, Drake Polley 0 0-0 0, Jackson Bowie 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 22 16-28 61.

MASON CITY (3-9, 2-6) — Corey Miner 3 1-2 8, Carter Thomas 3 2-4 9, Isaiah Washington 5 4-4 14, Kale Hobart 2 3-4 7, Michael Willis 5 1-3 11, Keenen Wiley 0 2-2 2, Carson Siemons 0 0-0 0, Malakai Johnson-Bassey 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 20 13-19 55.

MHS 16 7 19 19 — 61

MASON CITY 19 10 15 11 — 55

3-Point Goals–MHS 1 (Kapayou), MC 2 (Miner, Thomas). Team Fouls–MHS 18, MC 21. Fouled Out–Thomas. Technical Foul–Mason City bench.