IOWA PREP BB: Perennial power Harlan halts Atlantic’s run, Cyclones advance to State
Trojans finish season with 22-2 record, one step short of Des Moines
By Drew Herron - NT Sports Editor / Feb. 26, 2013
COUNCIL BLUFFS – It feels as though late every February,
tradition seems to take hold of Harlan’s fortunes.
Little does it matter how the Cyclones’ fare throughout the
season, or how they finish their schedule, so long as they are playing apex
basketball when they hit the tournament trail.
That lesson was delivered again to Atlantic Monday night, as
unranked Harlan knocked off the No. 2-ranked Trojans 52-43 in their Class 3A
Substate 8 final to clinch a spot at the State Tournament set to start next
week.
It was the first time in three attempts Harlan has defeated
Atlantic this season, but it is by far the most important.
“We’ve been fortunate to be able to peak at the right time
of the year, most generally,” Harlan coach Mitch Osborn says of his team. “You
might lose some along the way, but you never give away everything during the
regular season. There are always more important things ahead.”
Osborn is headed to State for the 17th time in
his 29-year career, and improves his Substate record to 17-6 all time in his
collective work at EHK, Pomeroy-Palmer, and Harlan.
Monday night, Atlantic struggled with its offense, and never
was able to find their shooting rhythm. Countless high-percentage shots rimmed
out, and the Trojans struggled to make up the difference in a defensive grind.
The Trojans fell behind midway through the first quarter, and
tried to chase Harlan down over the next two. Buzzer-beating shots fell for Harlan at the close of the
first and second quarters, and the Cyclones took a modest 23-18 lead into the
break.
“It was a physical basketball game, and we got
out-physical-ed,” Atlantic coach Steve Blazek said afterwards. “It seemed like
we were rushing our shots a little bit, and didn’t continually run our stuff.
“But hats off to Harlan, they played well. They made free
throws down the stretch and didn’t turn the ball over too much.”
Atlantic shot just 24 percent (7-of-29) from the field in
the first half, but their tenacity on the glass gave them a chance as the
Trojans hauled in 15 boards over the first two quarters, nine of them on the
offensive end.
“They killed us on the offensive boards in the first half,”
coach Osborn says. “They had nine second-chance shots, and we were lucky just
to be ahead at halftime.”
On one single trip up the floor in the second quarter,
Trojans’ senior Ben Nelson collected three offensive rebounds, only for it to
be an eventual empty possession for the Trojans. But, for all that went wrong for Atlantic in the first 16
minutes, the Trojans were not about to panic at the break.
“At halftime, we felt like if we could shoot the ball a
little bit, then we had a chance,” coach Blazek says. “But we didn’t get to the
free throw line as much as we would have liked, and we missed too many
bunnies.”
Atlantic made a move in the third quarter and knotted the
game at 27-27 when Sam Markham scored on a put back with 3:48 left in the
frame. It marked a 7-0 run for the Trojans, and AHS would regain the lead with
2:22 left when Stuart Hoegh dished an assist to his twin Harrison Hoegh to push
Atlantic back on top 29-28. It was the first lead for Atlantic since they were
up 4-2, but it would not last long as Harlan would take a 30-29 lead into the
fourth.
In the final frame, Harlan steadily pulled ahead while
Atlantic struggled to hit.
With about four minutes left, Harlan went to their
“Carolina” ball control keep away game, and it could not have worked out better
for the Cyclones.
HCHS connected from the free throw line a perfect 14 of 14
tries in the fourth alone, and the Cyclones iced the victory. On the night,
Harlan converted 17-of-18 free throws.
Osborn says Monday night was the earliest his team had gone
to “Carolina” this season, and the Cyclones were committed to rolling the dice
with half a quarter of clock remaining.
“We were either going to make a lay-up, free throw, or we
are going to lose the game,” coach Osborn says. “We made our free throws down
the stretch, and that was huge. You’ve got to hit your free throws, if you
don’t, you take the chance of losing.”
Fouling didn’t allow the Trojans’ to make up ground as
Harlan continued to convert from the line.
Four different players finished in double digits for Harlan,
led by junior Trey Lansman’s 16 points. Nate Cave added 12, and Adam Juhl and
Gabe Ferry each finished with 10 points apiece.
Atlantic had three players in double figures, as Markham, Chad
Christensen and Dalton Franken all finished with 10 points.
Having already been beaten twice by Atlantic this season,
Harlan entered the sub-state in an unfamiliar underdog role. It was something
they thrived on, as Atlantic shouldered the pressure while HCHS seemed to be
playing with house money at this stage of the playoffs.
“That’s one thing we felt we had an advantage in, the
pressure was all on them,” coach Osborn says of Atlantic. “They’re a
senior-laden team, and this is their last go-round. We are a team of juniors,
and we were more loosey-goosy. But there is no guarantee you are going to get a
chance next year, so we encouraged the guys to take advantage, and seize the
opportunity before them.”
Atlantic finishes the season with a 22-2 record, and won the
Hawkeye 10 Conference for the second straight season.
Monday night offered a bitter pill to swallow for a group
with big aspirations.
“I told them afterwards that there is nothing I can say that
is going to make them feel any better,” coach Blazek says. “But this group has
won a lot of basketball games in the last three years, and they’ve done a lot
for Atlantic Basketball without a doubt. They are a class act…a great group of
kids.”
Game Scoring (02/25)
ATLANTIC (22-2): Sam Markham 10, Dalton Franken 10, Chad
Christensen 10, Harrison Hoegh 8, Stuart Hoegh 5 Free Throws: 5/8
HARLAN (18-6): Trey Lansman 16, Nate Cave 12, Adam Juhl 10,
Gabe Ferry 10, Jake Daeges 2, Hunter Kloewer 2 Free Throws: 17/18
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