The Atlantic Trojans girls basketball team defeated the Harlan Cyclones 52-40 Wednesday night to advance to the Class 3A Region 5 final. Despite the Cyclones getting off to a hot start, the Trojans controlled much of the game. Defensively, Atlantic kept Harlan at bay while rebounding very well. On the other side of the ball, the Trojans were very efficient and came up with big plays in big moments. For the first time in recent memory, the Trojans were able to get over the proverbial hump of the second round and advance to the regional final.

The opening minutes of the ball game belonged to Harlan. The Cyclones opened up the game with a 7-0 run in the opening two minutes to take an early lead. This included a long ball from Aubrey Schwieso, which turned out to be the lone three-pointer of the half for the Cyclones. Needing a response, the Trojans found one in a big way, going on a 10-2 run of their own. Zoey Kirchhoff nailed a big three-pointer while Paytn Harter, Payton McLaren, and Katrina Williams all knocked down field goals to give Atlantic a one-point lead at the end of the frame.  The second quarter was back and forth for much of the frame. Neither team seemed to gain an edge, combining for ten points in the first five minutes.  However, as they did for much of the night, the Trojan offense found success in a big moment. Kirchhoff added another two long balls to what ended up being a game-leading 21 points. By the end of the half Atlantic had earned a 22-18 lead and would not trail for the rest of the game.

Offensively, the Cyclones were better in the second half. Despite a strong showing in the paint from Grace Albertsen, the Cyclones were held to under 10 points in each of the first two quarters. In the second half, Schwieso started to heat up, knocking down four field goals and ended up sharing the team lead with Albertsen as both finished with 13 points. The only issue was that Paytn Harter and the Trojans didn’t back down. Atlantic started to replicate the inside success from the game in Des Moines. The Trojans also foul line hitting 14-19 from the charity stripe in the second half. In addition, Harter knocked down four field goals in the second half to finish with 17 points.  Throughout the remainder of the game, the Trojans were able to maintain the lead until they were able to pull away at the end. head coach Dan Vargason spoke on how big this game was and what the win meant.

He was also extremely proud of how his team has handled what they have faced.

The Trojans’ defense was one of the main factors in the win.

The Trojans will stay on the road as they will take on Cherokee Washington in the regional final on Saturday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm.