Timely 10-0 run lets Cyclones take down No. 9 Rams

 HARLAN (Dec. 19) -- A 10-0 run is always nice, but few are as perfectly timed as Harlan Community’s was Saturday.
 With the scored tied 27-all and points at a premium, Cyclone point guard Brad Curren finished the third quarter with a hanging jump shot near the lane. HCHS would also score the first eight points of the fourth quarter, then used enough defensive stops and free throws down the stretch to knock off ninth-ranked (3A) Glenwood 53-42 in a matchup of Hawkeye Ten Conference rivals.
 The Cyclones converted 14-of-20 foul shots in the final stanza and Connor Frame’s uncontested dunk put the finishing touches on the win as the team improved to 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the H-10 - good enough for first place ahead of the Rams (4-1, 4-1).
 “Our kids really deserved this,” said HCHS head coach Mitch Osborn. “I think it’s a big win confidence-wise because we [have] lost two one-possession games.
 “I thought the rebounding was a huge difference because they missed shots and we got loose balls and rebounds. We took care of the ball [9 turnovers]. I thought Teagon Kasperbauer taking two charges was huge. I don’t know if he scored, but those were two big plays.”
 The Cyclones finished with a 39-28 rebounding edge as Glenwood shot just 27.8 percent overall and 8-of-34 on three-pointers. They also held Rams’ senior standout Ryan Blum to 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting, one night after he put up 37 points and 15 rebounds vs. Creston.
 Defensively, HCHS mixed a diamond-and-one and 1-3 chaser for most of the night, with Frame drawing the main responsibility of guarding Blum. The rest of the Rams were unable to shoot the Cyclones out of their junk defenses.
 Curren (5-for-5 from the field) and Frame led the team with 15 points each, Aidan Hall finished with 11 points and seven rebounds and Will McLaughlin had nine points and 11 boards. Curren added five assists and grabbed four rebounds as well.
 Osborn said that Curren “came of age” in the second half by hitting big shots and handling the ball in pressure situations.
 In addition to Blum’s 13 points, 10 rebounds and five steals, Glenwood got 12 points from Caden Johnson (4-of-11 threes) and nine points and six boards from Brock Sell.