Treynor girls spoil another Cyclone season opener

 TREYNOR (Nov. 26) -- For the third year in a row, the Harlan Community girls basketball season has begun with a double-digit loss to one of Class 2A’s state powers.
 Monday’s opener at Treynor was doomed early on as the second-ranked Cardinals answered Brecken Van Baale’s opening-minute three-pointer with 16 straight points and a resounding 35-5 run overall. The Cyclones trailed 37-12 at halftime, then basically traded baskets the rest of the way in a 55-27 defeat.
 Treynor, returning two high-profile seniors in Konnor Sudmann and Kayla Chapman from last year’s state semifinalist and 2016 state runner-up, burned Harlan’s early triangle-and-two defense with two early treys by Mandy Stogdill and another by Tori Castle.
 The Cardinals’ full-court pressure also keyed a 22-4 start as they scored either directly off backcourt turnovers or in transition following a missed shot. Whether they broke the press or not, the young Cyclones - featuring just three upperclassmen on the roster - were rushed into an out-of-sync level on offense for much of the first half.
 “We just got sped up and couldn’t keep our composure," said HCHS coach Zach Klaassen. "We had a couple open threes early, we had an open two or three-footer that we missed. If we get a couple of those to go, then maybe we settle down and settle in a little bit."
 Treynor’s defensive length was certainly evident in the halfcourt as well, especially after it switched from man-to-man into zone. Sudmann and Chapman finished with five steals and 10 points each, with Sudmann adding six rebounds and six assists. Stogdill led all players with three treys and 11 points.
 Offensively, no Cyclone player finished with more than one made field goal as the team shot just 8-of-36 (22.2 percent). Senior Chloe Hansen led the way with six points and four steals, Macie Leinen scored five points and Van Baale, Jocelyn Cheek, Raegen Wicks and Tianna Kasperbauer added three points apiece.