A back and forth game turned into a double digit victory for Atlantic thanks to a great 4th quarter effort. Harlan held a 34-28 lead after three quarters, but a 21-4 4th quarter propelled the Trojans to an 11 point win against their rival Harlan. Peyton McLaren led the Trojans in scoring with 13 and Makenna Schroeder had 9. Atlantic moved the ball around well all night and spread the offense around and paired that with a great defensive effort in the 2nd half.

In the first half, both sides were pretty even, with neither side pulling away. The Trojans were very impressive in their ball movement, with Madison McLaren getting it inside to Katrina Williams and Brynn Lamp for easy buckets. Atlantic played strong defense as well, only allowing 21 points in the first half and held a lead going into the second half. It would be the ball movement that set Atlantic apart in the first half and easy shot attempts that would propel them the rest of the game.

The third quarter was really the only part of the game that didn’t go Atlantic’s way. They got outscored 13-4 and and were put in a 6 point deficit by quarter’s end. The shots that were there in the first half didn’t exist in the third quarter, with a lot of easy looks being passed up. Atlantic struggled with turnovers and Harlan couldn’t miss. Atlantic led in all other quarters beside the third. It was the best Harlan quarter of the game, but Atlantic would have an answer in the 4th.

The 4th quarter was exactly what the Trojans were looking for as a response to the 3rd. They went on a 21-4 run to end the game, making everything look easy. Both Peyton and Madison McLaren led the offense with scoring and ball movement. They involved Williams and Lamp to open up the perimeter. It felt like a whole team effort to end the game and gave Atlantic a 49-38 win over their Harlan. Coach Varagson is impressed with how his squad can come away with a victory.

One player stood out above the rest to Coach Vargason tonight:

The 4th Quarter push is what Coach Vargason was impressed with the most:

The Atlantic Trojans Girls team starts their playoff journey when they host Van Meter on Saturday, February 14th in the first round of the 3A Regional Tournament.

The 15th ranked Iowa Hawkeye women look to snap a three game losing skid on Wednesday night when they host 25th ranked Washington. After starting 9-0 in the Big Ten the Hawkeyes are 9-3.

That’s Iowa coach Jan Jensen, who says the Hawkeyes need to be more consistent.

Washington is 18-6 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten.

(Radio Iowa) – Seven Republicans in the Iowa Senate say they have a game plan that could lure the Chicago Bears to move the historic N-F-L franchise to Iowa. Senator Scott Webster of Bettendorf says the Quad Cities would be the most logical spot to build a new stadium.

The Bears’ ownership has talked for years about building a new stadium, with the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights the preferred location, but a bill moving through Indiana’s legislature would pave the way for a publicly financed stadium for the Bears in Gary, Indiana. The bill introduced in the Iowa Senate would make an N-F-L stadium eligible for Iowa’s Major Economic Growth Attraction or MAGA Program — with property tax breaks and refundable tax credits for the initial investment and the new jobs created, along with refunds of sales taxes paid during construction.

Webster, who was born in 1980, was alive when the Bears won the Super Bowl 40 years ago and is serving as a spokesman for the group pushing this plan.

Webster, though, closes his pitch with the title of the Bears’ Fight Song.

The ACGC Chargers Girls Basketball team sits well above .500 and hopes to take their winning ways into the playoffs. The Chargers are led by upperclassmen Camdyn Richter and Stella Largent, who both average double-digit points per game. Averaging 13 steals per game and allowing just 40 points per game, it is the defense of ACGC that has propelled them to such a great record.  Coach Brad Baudler also thinks there is another area of the game where the Chargers can excel in the playoffs.

Coach Baudler knows how important Camdyn Richter and Stella Largent are to the success of the team:

There is a player that has really stood out with how she leads and inspires her teammates:

According to Coach Baudler, the win or go home nature of the playoffs will not come as a shock to his players. They are prepared for the moment:

The ACGC Chargers Girls begin their playoff run at home against the Panorama Panthers at 7pm on Tuesday, February 17th in the first round of the Girls 2A Regional Tournament.

The Iowa Hawkeye men take a six game winning streak on the road to Maryland Wednesday night. Maryland is 2-10 in the Big Ten and has been without injured center Pharrel Payne for the last two months. He had 17 points and 14 rebounds in Iowa’s 83-64 win over the Terps back in early December.

That’s Iowa coach Ben McCollum, who wants to see more balance on offense. Senior guard Bennett Stirtz had a career-high 36 points in Sunday’s win over Northwestern.

After losing their first four road games the Hawkeyes have responded by winning their last three.

The Hawkeyes are 8-4 in the Big Ten and 18-5 overall.

The Griswold Tigers are ready for another year of playoff basketball. Led by forward Brayden Lockwood and guard Dain Laverty, the Tigers’ two leading scorers make it difficult on opposing defenses. They are a young team that usually only plays six players in any given game, but every guy on the team is taught how to play hard no matter how many of them they have. As a team they average almost 8 steals and 2 blocks a game. Coach Ryan Lockwood sees the Tigers’ defense as a strong point as the team heads into the playoffs.

Leadership is important for teams at this part of the season, and Coach Lockwood has noticed one of his upperclassmen stand out as a leader:

Some coaches keep their tactics the same in playoff games, but Coach Lockwood knows that some things will change with his approach:

Coach Lockwood wants the group to value the time they have together as the season winds down:

The Griswold Tigers will open up postseason play by hosting the Sidney Cowboys on Friday, February 13th in the first round of the Boys 1A District Tournament.

Valparaiso outscored Drake 7-0 to close the game and beat the Bulldogs 81-76 Monday night, in the Knapp Center. It was the fourth straight loss for the Bulldogs.

That’s Drake coach Eric Henderson. Valparaiso shot 50 percent for the game and made nine three pointers as the Bulldogs lost their eighth home game of the season and are looking for answers on defense.

The Bulldogs fall to 6-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Non-Conference

Southwest Valley – 62 vs Red Oak – 29

Fremont-Mills – 62 vs Stanton  – 32

Hawkeye Ten Conference 

Kuemper Catholic – 50 vs Creston – 46

Corner Conference 

Sidney – 39 vs East Mills  – 32

Western Iowa

Missouri Valley – 59 vs West Montana – 46

Rolling Valley Conference 

Coon Rapids-Bayard – 42 vs CAM – 31

Pride of Iowa Conference

Central Decatur – 65 vs Lamoni – 9

Non-Conference

Red Oak – 54 vs Southwest Valley – 52

Hawkeye Ten Conference 

Le Mars – 52 vs Lewis Central – 50

Glenwood – 73 vs Council Bluffs Jefferson – 49

Corner Conference 

Fremont-Mills – 59 vs Stanton – 23

Bedford – 83 vs Griswold – 12

Essex – 44 vs Hamburg – 39

Rolling Valley Conference 

Coon Rapids-Bayard – 74 vs CAM – 43

Woodbine – 69 vs Exira-EHK – 34

Pride of Iowa

Central Decatur – 65 vs Lamoni – 53

The CAM Cougars Girls Basketball Team will finish with a winning record this season, led by a tenacious defense and a great transition offense. Ada Hanson has been far and away the Cougars best player this season. Averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds and over two steals a game, Hanson isn’t just the best guard at CAM, she is one of the best guards in the playoffs. The offense completely runs through her, but the pride of the Cougars’ team is in their defense. It is that end of the court, Coach Joe Wollum says, is what allows them to be such a great team in transition. They play an aggressive style of defense with different presses that creates turnovers. As a team, CAM averages an impressive 10.5 steals a game. This defense first mindset is a strength from the regular season that Coach Wollum hopes carries over into the playoffs.

Even while having such a great player in Ada Hanson, there are still four other girls on the floor with her. Coach Wollum wants his girls to have the attitude that it will take everyone to make a run in the postseason:

Leadership in games like the playoffs is important, which is why Coach Wollum praises multiple girls for stepping up throughout the season, not just in their play on the court but also in how they carry themselves off the court and with their teammates:

Playoff success is one thing, but for High School athletes playing in their final games, it is important to enjoy the ride. In the stress of a win or go home game, Coach Wollum wants his team to appreciate how far they have come:

The CAM Cougars have just one last regular season game, playing Coon Rapids-Bayard at 6pm on 2/9 before the playoffs start. They will begin their journey through the postseason when they host Stanton in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday, February 12th at 7 pm.