Atlantic basketball went on the road on Monday, Feb. 10 to take on the Harlan Cyclones. This was the last double-header of the 2019-20 season.

The 8-12 Trojan girls played the 11-9 Cyclones in the first half of the double-dip. Atlantic was on a five-game losing streak while Harlan had come up short to Lewis Central in their last outing. Just a week prior, the Trojans hosted Harlan, losing 64-46. 

After tip-off, Harlan gained control of the game. Towards the end of the first quarter, the Cyclones went on an 8-0 run. In the second frame, the Trojans were limited to eight points by a strong Cyclone defense. Heading into the locker room, the girls faced a 22-point deficit.

In the third quarter, Atlantic found their footing and outscored their opponents, tacking on 19 points. The Trojans’ zone defense was unable to slow Harlan in the final moments, and the girls dropped a tough one, 73-51.

Senior Kenzie Waters led the Trojan pack with 18 points. Also finishing in double figures were juniors Haley Rasmussen and Maycie Waters, with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

Following the girls’ game, the boys took the court. Atlantic was 7-9 when they arrived in Cyclone territory. The opposition’s record stood at 12-5. The Trojans and Cyclones had both lost their previous contests. While the Trojan girls had competed against Harlan earlier in the season, this was the boys’ first glance at the Cyclones.

In the first quarter, Atlantic struggled on both offense and defense. The boys were able to chip in three points in the opening frame, finding themselves down by 22 just eight minutes into the contest. Atlantic picked up the pace in the second, hanging with the Cyclones on all sides of the floor. Still, the Trojans were behind by 24 points at the break.

The Cyclones remained dominant after halftime. They stretched their lead to 38 points heading into the final frame. Atlantic continued to push the issue, outscoring their opponents in the fourth quarter. However, the damage was done and Harlan won the game, 71-41.

Junior Skyler Handlos splashed in 18 points for Atlantic on Monday night.

The boys will take on Harlan once more on Monday, Feb. 17. The game will be played in the AHS gym.