With the season on the line, the Atlantic girls’ basketball team made their way to Shenandoah for the 3A Regional Quarterfinal. The Shenandoah Fillies were once a ranked-team, but had since lost their spot in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s top 15 for class 3A.

In their last meeting, a then-ranked Filly team slammed Atlantic 70-46. Since then, Atlantic had put together a different defense, solidified their starting lineup, and nabbed four wins. The Trojans rolled into Shenandoah with the hopes of extending their season by snatching a victory.

Sophomore Haley Rasmussen, juniors Kenzie Waters and Corri Pelzer, and seniors Baylee Newell and Heidi Williams started for Atlantic. Following tip off, Williams scored five consecutive points to put Atlantic in front, 5-2. Shenandoah would counter with a couple field goals, but Williams once again drained a bucket to put the Trojans back in the lead. As the minutes ticked down in the opening frame, the two teams were tied at ten points apiece. Waters stole the ball and passed it to Rasmussen, who made a layup and put Atlantic in front at the end of one.

Atlantic would extend their lead to four points early in the second quarter. However, an unanswered 20-point run by Shenandoah turned the tables. The opposition capitalized on Trojan turnovers. The Fillies regained the lead in the second quarter, and sat comfortably in front, 31-15 heading into the locker room.

Each team netted 12 points in the third quarter, making the score 43-27. In order to keep their season alive, the Trojan girls would have to dig their way out of a 16-point deficit in the final eight minutes.

The Trojans fought their way back from a 21-point difference, but couldn’t get past the 16-point mark. With 47 seconds left, both teams sent in their subs, as it was clear the Trojans’ season was coming to an end. Sophomore Maycie Waters splashed in the last Trojan bucket of the 2018-19 campaign, a free-throw that made the score 61-41. Shenandoah won the Regional Quarterfinal match, 61-41.

Newell chipped in four points and had two assists in her final game, while Williams scored eight points and had two steals. Off the bench, senior Alyssa Ginther put up ten points and had a block.

The Trojan girls ended the season with a 4-18 record, which included wins over Clarinda, Saint Albert, and Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln. In conference play, Atlantic went 1-9. The team finished the season with a 68.2% free throw average. Through 22 games, they had 213 steals and 514 rebounds. In the 2018-19 season, the Trojan girls scored over 1,000 points.