(Denison) – Atlantic stormed out to a commanding 16-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, securing a dominant 58-23 victory over Denison-Schleswig on Friday night.
The Trojans set the tone early, finishing the first quarter ahead 26-7 before extending their lead to 41-10 by halftime. Head Coach Dan Vargason emphasized the importance of a fast start, and his team delivered.
Paytn Harter, Atlantic’s 5’11” inside force, made her presence felt in the first half, scoring 20 points. Beyond the paint, the Trojans found success from beyond the arc, as Zoey Kirchhoff, Lila Wiederstein, Harter, and Jillian Saathoff each knocked down four three-pointers. However, it was Harter’s dominant inside play that anchored Atlantic’s first-half performance.
By the fourth quarter, the Trojans had built a 55-20 advantage, triggering a running clock and speeding up the final frame.
Harter led all scorers with 23 points for Atlantic, followed by Kirchhoff with 11. Katrina Williams contributed 9 points, while Saathoff added 5. Wiederstein chipped in 3, and Peyton McLaren, Brynn Lamp, and Addie Freund each tallied 2. Dylan Ball rounded out the scoring with a free throw.
Denison-Schleswig was led by Ann Wessel with 8 points, while Norah Huebert added 5. Lauryn Turin scored 3, and Lola Mendlik, Myah Slater, and Samantha Chandler each finished with 2. Mariah Carlson contributed 1 point.
With the win, Atlantic improves to 15-6 and will travel to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Tuesday to take on Harlan. Meanwhile, Denison-Schleswig falls to 2-16 and will host Carroll in a 4:00 p.m. matchup this afternoon.
