(Glenwood) A 12-0 third-quarter run led to a 77-63 win over Glenwood in a Class 3A Substate semifinal at Glenwood on Thursday night.
“I am very proud of our guys,” said Harlan Head Coach Mitch Osborn. “With Brad Curren out you could see our lack of depth, but Jozeph Riesz, and Brehden Eggerss gave us enough in the first half, and our starting five went the distance in the second half.”
Five Players scored in double-figures for the Cyclones. Jace Gubbels scored 20 points, Teagon Kasperbauer, 17, Jacob Birch, 15, Will Arkfeld, 13, and Franz Riesz finished with 12 points.
“Our balanced scoring was key for us,” said Osborn. “Jace Gubbels was phenomenal. Teagon Kasperbauer is so poised and steps up in big games. You saw that in football. All the guys did a super job. It was a hard-fought win.”
It took a while for the Cyclones to warm up offensively. Zac Kelsey hit back-back-to baskets to put the Rams up 4-0, and kept the lead until late in the first quarter. Harlan broke loose on a 4-0 run at the end of the frame for a 16-11 lead. The Rams kept it close but never led again.
Harlan knocked down four three-point baskets in the first half to hold the Rams at arm’s length and led 33-28 at the break. Glenwood junior guard Kayden Anderson splashed down two key three-point baskets in the second frame, and Risto Lappala knocked another to keep the Rams in the game.
“We ran some junk defense on Caden Johnson and held him to two points in the first half,” said Osborn. “He is so good, and when we went man-to-man in the second half, you see what he did to us.”
Johnson finished the night with 17 points, nine in the fourth quarter.
The difference in the game came in the third quarter when Harlan separated themselves from Glenwood with a 12-0 run and a 45-30 lead. Glenwood fought back, outscoring the Cyclones 13-9 to end the frame, but still trailed by double-digits, 54-43.
“They missed enough shots, and we rebounded their misses, and Gubbels and Arkfeld hit key three-point baskets for us,” said Osborn.
Harlan had their foot on the gas in the final frame building a 63-47 lead midway through the fourth quarter before slowing it down on the offensive end, using up the entire shot clock to limit Glenwood’s possessions. Teagon Kasperbauer sank eight free throws down the stretch to secure the 77-63 win.
“I thought we did a good job of milking the shot clock,” said Osborn. “We had a couple of turnovers against their press that made us a little nervous, but we kept our poise enough to finish it off.”
Caden Johnson led the Rams with 17 points; Kayden Anderson, 13; Risto Lappala, 12; Logyn Eckheart, 7; Gavin Schau, and Zach Kelsey scored six points, and Payton Longmeyer chipped in 2.
On Monday night, Harlan will match up against top-ranked Bondurant-Farrar in the Substate finals at Creston. We will have the broadcast on 95.7 F.M.
