HCHS girls cagers top Trojans, fall at LC

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (Feb. 8) -- The Harlan Community girls basketball team wrapped up regular-season play with a Hawkeye Ten split late last week, beating Atlantic 56-51 in Harlan February 7 and losing at Lewis Central 55-39 on Friday, February 8. The games did not count in the conference standings.
 HCHS took a 5-16 overall record into regional play and finished ninth in the H-10 with a mark of 2-8.
HCHS 56, Atlantic 51
 HARLAN -- The Cyclone girls completed a season sweep of the Trojans last Thursday, but it wasn’t easy.
 After building a 17-8 lead early in the second quarter, HCHS allowed a 10-0 run as Atlantic heated up from the three-point arc. The Trojans hit four treys in the second quarter and added three more in the third, taking their biggest lead (41-34) via three straight long-range shots from Alyssa Ginther and McKenzie Waters.
 In a game of runs, the Cyclones responded with a 7-0 spurt and also scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to take a 47-45 lead. The final stanza featured four ties until a putback by Anna Ahrenholtz put HCHS ahead to stay with 1:15 left. The Cyclones got several critical defensive stops down the stretch and Chloe Hansen’s steal and layup sealed the deal with :12 to go.
 Macie Leinen, Ahrenholtz and Jocelyn Cheek combined to score 25 of the team’s 30 second-half points.
 Cheek hit 3-of-5 three-pointers and finished with a team-high 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals, scoring a pair of pivotal fourth-quarter putbacks. She has scored 31 points in two games since returning to a reserve role that she thrived in earlier this year.
 Ahrenholtz, who suffered a concussion earlier in the season, also appears to be rounding into form. She scored 14 points vs. St. Albert two days earlier and totaled 13 points and six boards against Atlantic.
 Macie Leinen finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four blocks, scoring two conventional three-point plays in the second half and protecting the rim as the Trojans attempted to score inside late.
CB LC 55, HCHS 39
 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- The 10th-ranked Titans (17-2) outscored the Cyclones 13-5 in the second quarter and 17-9 in the fourth to key a 55-39 decision in last Friday’s regular season finale.
 Megan Witte carried the load for LC with 28 points and 11 rebounds. HCHS was led by Macie Leinen’s 12 points and five rebounds.