Cyclone boys hang tough against rival Titans but fall short

HARLAN — The Harlan Community Cyclones battled throughout the game, but came up short in a 67–55 loss to rival Lewis Central on Tuesday night.
Lewis Central opened the game with a three-point-er, but HCHS responded quickly as Colton Schneider and Dallas McDowell helped keep the Cyclones close early. 
After trailing 8–5, McDowell tied the game and later scored a tough basket to give HCHS its first lead at 9–8. 
The Titans answered with a strong shooting stretch to push the lead to 16–9 late in the first quarter.
The Cyclones closed the gap behind baskets from Gabe Arkfeld and a three-pointer from Kobe Klaassen, who was playing in his first game back from injury. 
Despite the late push, Lewis Central held a 19–14 advantage after one quarter.
The Titans caught fire from beyond the arc to open the second quarter, extending their lead to 27–16. Klaassen knocked down another key three to stop the run, and HCHS continued to chip away by getting to the free-throw line. 
McDowell’s physical finish at the rim cut the deficit to 28–24, and Klaassen followed a miss to make it 31–28 late in the half. 
Lewis Central closed the quarter with a pair of free throws and a buzzer-beating three, taking a 37–30 lead into halftime.
HCHS opened the third quarter with a basket from McDowell, but Lewis Central responded with a decisive run to stretch the lead into double digits. 
The Titans built their advantage to 51–36 midway through the quarter. 
Kreed Boggess scored late to keep the Cyclones within reach, but Lewis Central maintained control and led 56–42 heading into the fourth.
The Cyclones continued to compete in the final period, trimming the deficit to 61–49 after another McDowell layup. 
Klaassen buried a clutch three to pull HCHS within nine, but the Titans answered down the stretch and pulled away in the final minutes to secure the 67–55 victory.
McDowell led the Cyclones with a strong all-around performance, while Klaassen provided a spark in his return from injury by knocking down key three-pointers as HCHS stayed within striking distance for much of the night.
Cyclone head coach Dean Mosher said Klaassen’s return was a welcome boost for the entire team,“It was good to get him back,” Mosher said. 
“It was good not only for him, but for everyone else. It takes some pressure off other people, so it was good to have him back and everybody out on the court.”
Mosher also saw positives in his team’s effort coming out of the holiday break against a tough Lewis Central squad. “I’ve been harping on the improvement from the beginning to the end of the season,” Mosher said. 
“The last Friday game before break was pretty low for us, at least for me. So after tonight, even in a loss, there were a ton of positives to take out of this game — offensively, defensively, just all the way around.”
Mosher was especially pleased with his team’s response after Lewis Central scoring runs,.“There were a few times in the huddle where I had to take a step back and let the guys communicate with each other,” he said. 
“Some of the ideas they had offensively and defensively, and the enthusiasm they showed until the last buzzer was good to see.”
The Cyclones travel to St. Albert on Friday night who is 6-3 on the season and 3-1 in conference. 
The Cyclones will look to rebound as they are on a three game losing streak dating back to December 12th. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30.