Tough Treynor squad handles HCHS in opener

TREYNOR -- Opening the season with a young and inexperienced varsity roster, the Harlan Community girls basketball team didn’t just stick their toe in the shallow end of the pool Tuesday night. Instead, they dove head first into shark-infested waters.
 Facing a talented Treynor squad that lost just one senior off last year’s 21-2 regional finalist, the Cyclones fought gamely at times but were doomed by 31 costly turnovers in a 68-43 non-conference road loss to the third-ranked (2-A) Cardinals.
 A turnover-fueled 14-0 run swung the game in Treynor’s favor during Tuesday’s first quarter as it used an effective three-quarter court press to rush the Cyclones into repeated mistakes.
 Five-foot-10 junior Madelyn Deitchler led the Cardinals’ physical, athletic attack with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and sophomore Kayla Chapman came up with eight of the team’s 22 steals.
 The Cyclones still trailed just 23-15 after one quarter before Treynor opened the second with six straight points and led by double figures the rest of the way.
 Senior guard Allison Bruck, Harlan’s only returning starter from last year’s state tournament qualifier, finished with 16 points and five steals in defeat.