(Harlan) Denison-Schleswig moves within one victory of a state tournament appearance with their 73-68 win at Harlan on Thursday. The Monarchs led the Cyclones by as many as 16 points in the second half.
Carson Seuntjens carried the visitors in the 2nd half with 17 of his game high points coming after the break. He hit six straight free-throws at one point in the 2nd half. Lance Arkfeld was a force on the inside early in the game and finished with 12 points despite foul trouble. Jaxon Wessel and Aiden Schuttinga each hit three 3-pointers as the visitors made seven shots beyond the arc in the first half and ten for the game. Wessel scored 13 and Schuttinga finished with 10.
Harlan had the game tied on a couple of occasions early in the 1st quarter, but never grabbed a lead. The Monarchs led 16-10 after one, 37-27 at half, and took a 54-34 lead into the final quarter. Harlan cracked within single digits for a brief stretch early in the 4th, but the team’s traded baskets over the next few minutes. With just under 3:00 left in the game, Brad Curren hit a couple of free-throws, got a steal, and passed the ball to Teagon Kasperbauer for a 3-pointer. The quick five point swing closed the gap to eight points and gave the Cyclones momentum, but Denison-Schleswig didn’t rattle. The Monarchs sank 10/17 free-throws in the second half, improving to 15-9 on the season. They’ll face 15-8 Carroll for a trip to state on Monday.
Harlan got 19 points from Brad Curren, Jacob Birch scored 14, and Aidan Hall scored 13. The Cyclones end their season at 16-7, falling twice to Denison-Schleswig along the way. They graduate two senior starters with Connor Frame and Brayton Schechinger.
