(Creston) The Atlantic girls’ basketball team earned their 12th victory of the season with a dominant 47-28 win over Creston on Monday night. Since returning from the holiday break, the Trojans have won six of their last eight games, improving to a 12-5 record and solidifying their position in the upper half of the Hawkeye Ten Conference standings.
The Trojans struggled with perimeter shooting and were plagued by turnovers in the first half. However, their forward duo, Paytn Harter and Katrina Williams, carried the load in the paint to keep the offense alive. The 5’11” standouts combined for all 22 of Atlantic’s first-half points, with Harter totaling 21 points and Williams, 11. On defense, the Trojans’ half-court 1-2-2 zone was highly effective, holding the Panthers to just five points in the first quarter and nine in the second.
The Trojans built a 13-5 lead by the end of the first quarter and extended it to 22-14 at halftime. In the second half, Zoey Kirchhoff and Makenna Schroeder ignited the outside shooting, hitting two and one three-pointers respectively. By the end of the third quarter, Atlantic held a commanding 38-18 advantage and sealed the win with a strong fourth quarter. Kirchhoff finished with six points, Schroeder added five, and Lila Wiederstein chipped in four.
On the defensive side, Atlantic held Creston’s top scorer Kadley Bailey, who averages 19 points per game, to just 11 points. Brynn Tussey scored six points for the Panthers, Adyson Morrison added four, and Hollynn Rieck, Ella Turner, and Jensan Tussey each contributed two. Braylee Pokorny rounded out the scoring with a free throw.
Atlantic will host St. Albert on Friday, while Creston, now 5-11, travels to Glenwood on Tuesday.
Atlantic Head Coach Dan Vargason’s post game comments:
