(Atlantic) – The Atlantic girls’ basketball team is advancing to the Regional semifinals after a solid 51-35 victory over Clarinda on Saturday night.
The Trojans held a narrow 12-11 lead after the first quarter before tightening their defense in the second. They forced multiple turnovers and twice held the Cardinals to shot clock violations. Atlantic opened the quarter with a 6-0 scoring run and kept Clarinda scoreless for the first four minutes. By halftime, the Trojans had extended their lead to 27-18.
Paytn Harter led Atlantic with 11 points, while Zoey Kirchhoff added five first-half points, including a three-pointer.
The Trojans maintained their intensity in the third quarter, pouring in 17 points to extend their lead to 44-28. In the fourth, they controlled the tempo, securing a 51-35 victory. Atlantic Head Coach Dan Vargason says the Trojans played solid team defense, against a team that had been putting up some big numbers offensively.
Paytn Harter led Atlantic with 17 points, while Katrina Williams delivered another strong performance, scoring 13—three above her season average. Zoey Kirchhoff added 10 points, going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. Peyton McLaren contributed six points, and Lila Wiederstein finished with four.
Clarinda connected on four three-pointers, with Kylie Meier hitting two from beyond the arc, while Maddie Cole and Ellie Cole each added one. Maddie Cole led the Cardinals with nine points, followed by Jerzee Knight with eight, Carsen Wellhausen with seven, Kylie Meier with six, Ellie Cole with three, and Addison Wagoner with two.
With the win, Atlantic improves to 17-6 and advances to face Harlan on the road Wednesday night. The Cyclones (18-4) dominated Red Oak, 72-25, to move on in the tournament. The Trojans and the Cyclones split during the regular season. Harlan won the first meeting, 44-32 on January 17. The Trojans returned the favor on February 11, 63-41. Coach Vargason says its’ going to be tough.
Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. We will have the broadcast on 95.7 F.M. The pre-game show starts at 6:30.
