In their last regular-season game, the Trojan girls’ basketball team traveled to Harlan. This game was originally supposed to take place on Tuesday, Jan. 29, but was postponed due to the weather. Since it was a makeup date, the JV girls didn’t get a chance to compete against Harlan in this varsity-only contest.

The last time the two teams met, Harlan claimed the win, 48-34. Since then, each team added three wins to their record. The Cyclones were coming off a narrow loss to Saint Albert, while the Trojans walked away from Clarinda with a win earlier in the week.

The starting lineup for the Trojans included sophomore Haley Rasmussen, juniors Kenzie Waters and Corri Pelzer, and seniors Baylee Newell and Heidi Williams. After tip off, Harlan scored the first five points of the game. Sophomore Alyssa Derby put the Trojans on the board after netting a field goal, making the score 5-2. Atlantic had a rough go of it, as they racked up four turnovers in less than four minutes. Because of the turnover-prone Trojans, Harlan was able to put the ball through the hoop. At the end of the first quarter, the Cyclones led 12-6, but committed six team fouls in doing so.

Harlan’s defense continued to stop the Trojans in the beginning of the second quarter. Rasmussen started a 10-0 Trojan run which put Atlantic in the lead, 18-17. The fight for the lead had begun, as both teams splashed in three-pointers with the hope to get ahead. With 1:30 left in the half, the score was tied at 26-26. Finally, Harlan committed the seventh team foul needed to send the Trojan girls to the line. Waters sank both free-throws and put Atlantic ahead by two with thirty seconds left. After Atlantic stole the ball, Rasmussen was able to add one more score onto the board before halftime, making it 30-26 at the break.

The second half started with Harlan stringing points together and reclaiming the lead. An 11-0 Atlantic run–including three three-pointers–snatched the lead back at 41-34. Harlan would mount a comeback and come within striking distance of the Trojans, and the lead. At the end of the third quarter, Atlantic led 45-41.

The two teams continued to battle in fourth quarter. With 3:55 left in the game, the contest was tied up at 51-51. Atlantic was unable to add anymore points to their total, and Harlan topped the Trojans for the second time this season, 56-51.

Rasmussen led all scorers with 18 points–16 of which came in the first half. Waters finished the game with 15 points.

Atlantic will take on Shenandoah in the Regional Quarterfinal on Saturday to start postseason play.