Panthers hand HCHS fourth straight defeat, 70-63

 DES MOINES -- One bad quarter led to a fourth straight loss for the Harlan Community boys basketball team last Friday in a neutral-site game at Wells Fargo Arena.
 Leading Mount Pleasant 30-27 at halftime, HCHS was outscored 24-13 in the third quarter and never recovered in a 70-63 loss to the Panthers.
 Mount Pleasant, which was one spot away from cracking the top 10 in last week’s Class 3-A (A.P.) state rankings, improved to 5-1 overall with its only loss at the hands of defending 4-A state champion Cedar Rapids Xavier in the season opener. Junior point guard Brady Sartorius, a first-team All-State selection last year, led the Panthers with 26 points and five assists.
 The Cyclones, who entered the holiday break on the program’s first four-game losing streak since the 1995-1996 season, dropped to 3-4 overall and will return to action on Tuesday, January 3, when they host Atlantic (6-2).