(Harlan) Atlantic used a strong fourth quarter surge to pull away from Harlan for a 49-38 victory in a Hawkeye Ten Conference girls basketball matchup Tuesday night in Harlan.
Peyton McLaren paced Atlantic with 13 points. Makenna Schroeder added nine, while Katrina Williams, Madison McLaren, and Jillian Saathoff each finished with seven. Brynn Lamp contributed six points, and Zoey Kirchhoff added one.
Kenzly Bruck led Harlan with 15 points. Avery Manz scored nine, Aubrey Wagner and Brinley Van Baale each had five, and Addison Wicks chipped in four.
The Trojans used a 3-0 spurt to close the opening quarter and take a 9-5 lead. Both teams matched each other in the second period with 16 points apiece, allowing Atlantic to carry a 25-21 advantage into halftime. Harlan found success inside with 6-foot-2 post Kenly Bruck, who scored nine of the Cyclones’ 21 first-half points. Katrina Williams led Atlantic with six points, and Jillian Saathoff came off the bench to knock down a three-pointer that helped the Trojans maintain the lead.
Harlan caught fire in the third quarter, outscoring Atlantic 13-3. Aubrey Wagner led the surge with five points, including a key three-pointer, while Avery Manz and Bruck combined for eight points during the run.
Atlantic responded in the fourth, opening the period with a 7-0 run to regain the lead at 38-36. The Trojans dominated down the stretch, outscoring the Cyclones 21-4 in the final quarter to secure the 49-38 win. Madison McLaren and Peyton McLaren each connected from three-point range, while Makenna Schroeder added four free throws and a field goal to help seal the victory.
Atlantic Head Coach Dan Vargason pointed to his team’s toughness in the final frame to come away with the win on the road.
Coach Vargason credits the leadership for the team’s resiliency.
The Trojans improved to 12-8 and finished third in the Hawkeye Ten Conference with a 7-3 record.
