(Harlan, IA) – It was a fight to the end for the #6 Harlan Cyclones girls’ basketball team on Tuesday night as they fell to #10 Lewis Central 45-30 for Harlan’s first loss of the season. Head Coach Zach Klassen said that the uncharacteristic turnovers and slow momentum put a stop to their offensive rhythm.
Aubrey Schweiso was able to knock down just a few shots in the game against the Titans while Erica Rust knocked down around 14 points and led the Cyclones in rebounding on the night. These two have been more than effective for Harlan this season as they average 15.5 and 13.1 points respectively. Both Schweiso and Rust are keys in the Harlan offense this season and even with Hannah Sonderman, the Cyclones need to be able to get out of tight situations when the keys are not on point.
In terms of improvements, Harlan needs to be able to adjust to other teams and their tempo overall. That means adjusting their game plan on offense to tighten up some plays to more physical defensive teams.
For the remainder of this week, Harlan is going to get loosened up to prepare for a few practices ahead of their game against St. Albert, one of the toughest teams in the Hawkeye Ten. St. Albert’s only loss so far this season has been to Harlan on November 28th when they lost 48-44. This rematch will be a tough one for both sides of the floor.
Harlan travels to St. Albert Catholic High School on Friday, January 5th at 6:00 p.m.
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